Another Player in the Game
by It's-Teatime-Somewhere
Summary: Its 7th year, and James and Lily are bickering as usuaul, but when some unexpected guests, including James' ex whos still in love with him visits the school, how will things turn out? What are these feelings Lily's having? R&R
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ****I decided to write another J/L fic, but a full-length story this time :) its my first attempt at a real story, so feedback is always appreaciated! **

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Harry Potter, would I be doing Geometry? I think not. Ergo, JKR owns HP, not me :)**

A Light in Endless Darkness

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

Something was blaring. What was that? What kind of demented object made a constant obnoxious beeping sound? Oh, right. My muggle alarm clock. I opened my eyes and groped around for the snooze button. I found it, and the silence that followed was music to my tired ears. This haven was short-lived, as my mother took that moment to barge into the room.

"Lilia Jane Evans! The train leaves in an hour! Have you even started packing?"

That woke me up faster than being poked with a Unicorn horn. I jumped out of bed to clothes, books, and potion ingredients strewn all over the floor.

"Shit." I muttered to myself, reprimanding myself for being so unorganized. I grabbed my wand and attempted a simple cleaning spell. Everything flew into the large trunk at the foot of my bed. I grabbed a sweater and skirt and flew to the bathroom to shower and prepare. It was the last trip! My last journey on the Hogwarts Express! my last...year. Suddenly it hit me. This was it. My last chance. Tears began to form in my eyes, but I brushed them away. _You need to be strong, Lily. Head Girls don't cry._ I smiled at the golden badge pinned to my shirt. All my studying had finally payed off.

"LILY!"

Petunias voice carried up the stairs as she ran in.

"Mum says we're leaving now, and I have to come. So hurry!" I wondered why she cared so much about me being on time. "Vernon is meeting me for lunch at noon! So move your stuff!" Ah, it all became clear. Vernon Dursley was Petunias walrus of a boyfriend. I thought they were perfect for each other, since they both were small-minded, incosiderate, imbiciles.

She left in a huff as I began to lug my trunk downstairs. I wanted to apparate, but Mum decided that she would drive me to the station as it was the "last time her baby girl was going away." I thought back to all the previous trips to Kings Cross. My first year, and the excitement, or in Tuney's case, resentment, third year, and the fear after Voldemort had killed twenty muggles, and fifth year, so full of sorrow. The memories brought tears I had just wiped away back to my eyes as I remembered my father, who had died of a heart attack only weeks before I returned to school. I hadn't wanted to come back, but Mum said it had always been Dads wish for me to become a true witch.

Although she tried to hide it, I saw Mums sniffles as she gave me a tight hug, before letting me go.

"Lily, have fun, and be safe. Enjoy your last year and dont stress to much, okay?" She gave a watery laugh and one last hug, before sending me through the wall into my other life.

Pushing my was through the waves of mothers and fathers waving their children off, the couples embracing after months of being apart, and the young children, in awe of the scene, I saw it. The massive red engine gleamed with its brass lining, and the golden letters proclaimed proudly that the _Hogwarts Express_ had arrived. Smoke billowed out, and the passenger cars opened allowing the tides of students to board the train.

* * *

><p>I hopped aboard, taking in the fresh smell I had missed for three months. I weaved my way to the back of the train, finding an open compartment near the Prefect Car. I plunked down on the lush velvet bench, taking it all in, until I was pounced on by a large animal.<p>

"Lily! You're here!" I looked up into the eyes of my best friend, Alice Prewett.

Alice had wavy, chocolate-colored hair and deep blue eyes which made her round face shine. She was short and plump, but still had curves. Alice and I met in second year, when we were both unlucky enough to be the subjects of one of the Marauders pranks. After charming the glow in the dark paint off everything we owned, we became insepreble, partly due to our similar likes, and partly because of our shared disdain for the Marauders.

I managed to throw Alice off me and smiled at my exuberant friend.

"Hi Alice! I missed you so much! How was your summer"

"Fantastic! Do you remember Frank Longbottom? Tall, forgetful, adorable?"

"Only your boyfriend for three years running?"

"Ha Ha Lils, very funny. Anyways, he proposed!"

I squealed in happiness as Alice showed me the sparkling ring on her finger. A shining diamond sat between two white perals.

"Alice I'm so happy for you!"

Frank was a year older than us, and had been dating Alice for a while. As dissapointed as she had been at the start of summer holidays, I could tell that any annoyance at her boyfr- I mean, fiancee's age had left with the ring.

As she began to tell me about how he proposed, I heared thumping and laughing coming from the hallway. Add giggiling girls and many "Hi boys", I knew they could only be four people. Four people who were the leaders of chaos, the kings of pranking, The Marauders.

* * *

><p>The compartment door slid open as a raven-haired boy entered.<p>

"Lily!" He shouted. "Oh how I've missed you! The summer has been too long, love!" He ran over to me and pulled me into a hug. I immeadiatly shrugged out of it, and stared into the eyes of James Potter.

His startling eyes were not hazel, but a warm brown flecked with forest green and shining gold. Hidden behind wire glasses and the messiest hair above the equator, I never had truly seen his eyes. As I was about to smile, I stopped. _Lily!_ I chastised myself. _Are YOU, Lily Evans, thinking about James Bloody Potter? _I shook my head and pushed Potter back.

"Potter, get your hands off of me, and never call me love."

Another black-haired boy waltzed in, calling out "Lookin' good, Evans!" as he sat near the window. I scowled at Black and shook my hair in front of my eyes. Remus Lupin, the one Marauder I could bear, sauntered in next. His shaggy brown hair and light blue eyes complimented his tall frame.

"Hi Lily." He smiled. "I hope these boys haven't bothered you too much."

"Oh, only the usuaul, Remus, but its good to see you."

"HEY!" Potter cried, innterrupting our chat, "How do you do that?"

"What?" Remus asked, looking confused,

"Get Evans to talk to you! Like, really TALK, not just fume or yell!"

"Its called being a gentleman, Potter." I sniffed, "a trait you are obviously lacking."

"I resent that, Lilykins."

"Call me Lilykins one more time..."

"Oh, does it bother you? whatever you want, Lilypie."

I was about ready to tear my hair out, after only three minutes of being in a small, confined, space with James. I didn't answer, instead I greeted Peter, the fourth Marauder. His watery eyes and plump figure made everyone doubt his Marauder-like charm and wit, but unless you judged by grades or looks, Peter was a smart-ass, just like the rest of them.

The boys had just noticed Alice, and greeted her while complimenting her ring.

"You know, Evans, I really missed you."

I turned and stared at Potter. Did he just say something, nice? No, must have been my imagination.

"And I missed the giant squid."

"Dear, thats getting a bit old, a new insult might be nice."

I growled, he smirked.

"In your bloody dreams, Potter"

"Oh, we all know about Prongs' dreams!" Sirius chimed in.

He recieved a whack on the head, as Remus and Peter snickered.

"So Lils," Potter continued after leaving Sirius rubbing his skull, "How about you and me get to know each other better over lunch sometime?"

"Potter, you used that last year."

"Is that a yes?"

"Why do you even bother?"

"I'll take that as a maybe!"

"NO POTTER!"

He shut up pretty fast after my outburst, but the relief was short-lived. He turned to Sirius and told him about his new broom, the Nimbus 200. I glanced at my watch and saw that we had been on the train for ten minutes, and I hadn't been to the prefects compartment! I jumped up and everyone looked at me, suprised at my sudden movement.

"Where ya goin', Lilypie?"

"Nowhere that concerns you."

I stalked out of the cramped room before he could come up with a rertort.

* * *

><p>Once in the Prefects compartment, I found two Hufflepuff prefects there and a young Ravenclaw fifth year.<p>

I introduced myself to the Hufflepuffs who I recognized from my grade. Soon, the door opened again and a few more students poured into the room. Bringing up the rear was Remus. I smiled at him, and was about to begin my speech wher I relaized there was no Head Boy!

"Remus, you're Head Boy, aren't you?"

He looked at me, shocked.

"You mean, you don't know?"

I shook my head, now utterly confused. This feeling, however, was quickly replaced by annoyance as Potter walked in.

"Potter, are you stalking me now?"

"No, Evans, I do enough of that at school" He smirked, and I glared.

"Actually, he continued, I think the Head Boy should always be present for a speech."

I must have looked odd because he pointed to his chest. Next to his Quidditch captain badge was a shiny, golden, badge.

A badge that read Head Boy.

Potter? Head Boy? Was Dumbledore insane!

"I am going crazy." I said, half to myself. "If you were Head, I would be crazy."

"Well, then," He smiled as he strolled towards me. "I guess our insane minds think alike."

I continued to glare at him, until Remus kindly coughed. Thats when I remembered that we were in a room full of prefects.

"Oh, right." I grinned appriceativly at Remus. "Well, congragulations on becoming Prefects! You have all been chosen because you are intelligent leaders who will make the school a better place. Your duties were explained in the letters you recieved, so I hope you know them! We will start now by patrolling corridors. I have a list drawn up that tells you the time and car you are scheduled to patrol."

I handed out the parchment and felt James' eyes on me.

"Now, thats all I have to say, but if your Head Boy needs to say anything..."

I motioned James forward.

"Hello everyone! As you no doubt know, I am James Potter, Head Boy, Marauder leader, Quidditch Captain extroadinare, and your beautiful Head Girl and I want to remind you not to abuse your privliges or the position will be revoked. Thats all, so hop to it!"

I glanced in suprise at James. Did something...responsible just come out of his mouth?

"Who are you and what have you done with Potter?"

"Lilykins, Its me! I just decided to be nicer in front of those little snots so they'd look up to me. Did you really think that i would be my normal, sexy, self in front of them?"

"well..."

"Exactly. now if you'll excuse me,"

He brushed past me and exited the room. After I overcame the shock of the smart words coming out of his mouth, I followed back to our compartment. What was up with James? He seemed, almost, nice.  
>What was happening!<br>**A/N: Hope you liked it! constructive criticism is always nice!**

**Jaily**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for reading! remember, reviewing makes the world a better place (for me, anyways :)**

**DISCLAIMER: Lets keep it simple. I DONT own Harry Potter, and if i did, I would be chilling in Hawaii instead of this freezing weather.**

I found my way to the last carrige, after checking all of the compartments for younger students who had gotten lost. Of course, Potter hadn't shown. It came as no surprise. Luckily, Alice was in the carrige too, with Xeno Lovegood, a 7th year called Lunatic Lovegood behind his back, and Shawn Evercost, a young fifth year who was a Marauder Junior, or one of the many kids hoping to take over as head prankster once the Marauders left. Alice struck up a conversation with Shawn, and I talked to Xeno. As crazy as everyone thought he was, and I admit some of his hypothesis' about Voldemort being muggleborn were a tad bit over the edge, he was a nice guy. With pale blonde hair, and sparkling blue eyes, he always looked excited. We chatted about the differences between the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly, when Alice suddenly shrieked.

"Guys, look! Its the castle!"

We all glanced outside at the sparkling castle. The towering stone structure was lit up like a christmas tree with its thousands of tiny windows. The towers were shining, each of the four representing each house, shining with house colors. The sky was cloudless and the stars twinkled, and the cresent moon shone like a sliver of light in the dark.

We rode up to the looming oak doors and got out. I grabbed Alice and left the boys, who we had become quite good friends with on the short ride. We walked into the magnificent entrance hall, and to the Great Hall. As I looked around at the mass of black hats and smiling faces, I realized that this was my home. The house in London, always so full of angst and depression, was just a temporary place to stay, when the castle and all people in it was my true home that I loved.

We sat down at the end of the Gryffindor table right as Dumbledore began, apparently we had missed the sorting.

"Welcome students, young and old, back to Hogwarts! I hope your year is wonderful! Now, enjoy!"

He waved his wizened arms and food appeared all along the tables. Everyone then ate as much as they could hold, because we had spent an entire three months away from the delectable Hogwarts cooking! As I began to feel full, I glanced around at who we were sitting near. There was Dorcas Medows, a chaser for the Quidditch team in my year, Holly Benkendorf, a sixth year who was friends with Alice, and, oh no. The marauders.

They sat across from us, piling even more food onto their plates.

"That is disgusting." I said, wrinkling my noes.

"What Evans? Do you have a problem with this?" Sirius gestured to his plate.

"Yes, Black, I do."

"Three months! Cut us some slack, Evans!" Potter chimed in, his plate as full as Sirius'.

I sighed, and turned to Remus, who, thankfully, had finished.

"Remus, can't you control them?"

"Sorry, Lily. They're naturally this insane."

"Shame...at least you're normal"

He smiled at the compliment, but it was a sad smile, like he was contradicting my statement.

"Yeah, normal..."

"Remus, whats wrong?"

"Nothing! yeah, nothigns wrong." He smiled a genuine smile, bu tit didnt reach his eyes, which were still shrouded in mystery. I vowed, right then, to find out what Remus was hiding.

The feast soon ended, and I called to James.

"Potter! I need to talk to you!" I yelled, as the prefects rangled up the first years and carted them off to the common rooms. Potter said something to his mates, and then walked over.

"Yeah, Evans?"

"As Heads, we have private dorms. They're behind the portrait of Billius the Great on the fourth floor, the password's Azwoth."

"Private dorms?" I saw a grin form on his face. The git.

"Yes Potter, now its easier to stalk me. Yippee."

"Evans, I don't _stalk_ you, I just, ya know,"

"Stalk me. Yeah, I get it, Potter. Just, stay away from me."

"Kinda hard, since we'll be living together." His smirk was back, wider, this time, with a mischevious twinkle in those gorgous eyes...WAIT! Lily, what the hell are you thinking! James Potter, who made your life miserable, does not have beautiful eyes!

I shook my head and walked away towards the dorms, shaking any stray thoughts out of my head.

I woke up to the first day of classes. I loved the mornings. The fresh air, tweeting birds, and sweet dew making the grass sparkle in the sun. I jumped out of bed, suprised at how quiet the room was without five other girls screaming in it. I hopped in the shower and the quickly did my hair, simply straightened. With a bit of mascara, I was ready. I walked downsatirs into the common room to find Potter, smiling into a mirror. He laughed and said something to it.

"Talking to your reflection, Potter? Thats a bit pig-headed, even for you."

He looked up at me, and smiled, while stowing the mirror, in which I could have sworn I saw Sirius' reflection in.

"What makes you say that, Evans?"

I looked at him pointdly. "If you wern't talking to your reflection, the whose were you talking to?"

"Umm..."

He twisted his shirt hem nervously. I was glad to make James Potter speechless. It always made my day when that happened.

"Answers, Potter."

"Ok, Evans. But you can't tell _anyone_."

I nodded, curious as to what was so secretive. He pulled back out a simple mirror, about the size of a paperback book.

"Sirius Black" He spoke, and soon enough, Black's chisled face appeared in the mirror.

"Hey Prongs! Wait... Is that Evans?" He shrieked at the she same time as i went over to investigate.

"Yeah, she caught me talking to you earlier."

"Dammit." He huffed, obviously pissed that I had found their secret. "You tell anyone, Evans, and I will turn your hair to flames."

I was about to answer when James interjected "She won't tell, Pads, don't fret."

He then put the mirror in his bag and turned to me.

"Sirius and I made them in fifth year. We use them to talk to each othe in seperate detentions. And he's not joking about the hair thing."

I nodded. "Of course he isn't. Thats some really inpressive magic! How did you do it?"

"Well, its wasn't as hard as becoming-" He clapped his hand over his mouth, and I got the feeling he was about to share another big marauder secret. Knowing better than to pry, I got up and headed down to breakfast. Alice caught me head on outside the Great Hall.

"Merlin, Lily where were you!"

"Alice, its only," I checked my watch "8:56? How is it so late? Classes start in, like, five minutes!"

"Yes! What kept you and James?"

"Oh, nothing," I knew, however much I wanted to, I couldn't tell Alice. James had trusted me, and no matter how much I despised him, I wasn't a tattle-tale.

"Nothing, NOTHING! Lily Evans tell me NOW!" Alice was practically jumping up and down, and people were starting to look.

"Alice! Shut up! _Nothing Happened._"

"Nothing my ass!" She shouted as she left for Divination. I huffed in annoyance, and started towards potions, ready to be immersed in my studies. I was glad I had Potions first, as Slughorn kind of adored me. It was creepy, except for the fact that I got straight O's in his class, no matter my potion type. Luckily the only marauder in that class was Peter, who didn't exactly know me as well as the others.

Classes went smoothly, I had Transfiguration with Potter, and grimaced as he out-smarted me in the class. Transfiguration was the only class Potter was better than me in. I had actually asked him for help, one time before O.W.L.s. Bad idea. He called it our 'first date of many' and had Sirius record the whole thing, and then change my voice to make me say things like "Oh James, you're so hunky" and "James, why won't you marry me!" The worst was: "James, lets go to the broom cupboard for a quick shag!" When these were blasted through the Great Hall, Sirius and Potter had pink hair for three weeks, and Alice had helped me transfigure their robes into ball gowns. Thanks to her brilliance in Transfiguration, It took the boys a lot of time to fix their clothing.

Besides hsi normal ntics, however, Potter didn't do anything to me during class. My day was quite happier because of it. The only fault? After Arithmacy, I walked out to a crowded hallway, and a greasy, lanky, black-haired boy leaning against a pillar, shouting my name. He huffed up to me as I tried desperatly to ignore his constant shouting. He finally caught up and grabbed my shoulder.

"Lily, I want to talk."

"We can't, Sev, I'm sure your _other_ friends would be glad to, though." I said with a sneer.

"Lily, I didn't mean what I said! I never meant to call you a- a you-know-what!"

"Mudblood? Thats the word you can't say? Merlin, you're such a hypocrite! You call everyone like me a mudblood! Why should I be an exception? You make me _sick._"

"But I-"

"Save it for someone who cares, Snape."

His protests died as I began to walk away. As much as I hated him, and the awful thing he said in fifth year, Sev had been my first, and best, friend. I brushed away the unwanted tears that had begun to drip. Why did he make me cry? I hated him. Him and his little cult, worshipping their evil master. Memories began to return, all the time before Hogwarts, when I told him about Petunia and the trouble we were in, all the times I complained about James, it all came flooding back.

"Hey, are you okay?" A shoulder grabbed me and I turned around to tell Snape off, and instead seeing Potter, standing with an odd look on his face. It almost seemed like, compassion? No, James Potter was many things, but compassionate wasn't one of them.

"Leave me alone, Potter." My voice came out warbled and runny. I immeadiatly scolded myself and my overactive emotions. I grabbed a tissue and blotted my eyes. Then, I turned around, prepared to outwit James Potter. Fighting actually was sometimes helpful when I thought about Snape, or my father. I could let out my anger at Potter and no one would know he wasn't the reason.

"Lily, whats wrong." He wispered, his eyes drillin into my soul..

I looked up at him, suprised. When did he call me Lily? And why didn't he laugh at my pain? Was this part of the odd new Potter I had seen on the train? I decided to ignore the tiny voice in my head that kept telling me, maybe he had changed. No, that voice had had too much butterbeer last night. I answered him like I would any other time, gearing up for a fight of the wits.

"Go away. I don't want you, and I don't want you to care. You're the reason as much as Snape."

"SNAPE! WHat did the bastard do?" He pulled out his wand, and looked angry enough to hex someone. James was affected as much by Snape as I was, but in a different way.

This weird show of care caught me off-guard. I immeadiatly was reminded of the convorsation, and decided to get rid of Potter for the night, so I could go wallow in peace.

"Nothing. Just- just fuck off Potter."

I stalked away from a black-haired boy for the second time that day.

**A/N: So...I decided to do something big with Snape, because I think Lily never got over him (Not that I ship Snilly) But I never thought she could be so cold. And he will be back :) and so will Shawn Evercost! I wouldnt just make up a random character for no reason :P so review if ur nice **

**~Jaily**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Once again, enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: psh, like I'd even PRETEND to own this...its all JKR**

The next few days weren't pleasant, they were far from it. Snapes little "talk" had made me quite depressed, and my sadness tends to turn to anger rather quickly. I snapped at everyone, including Alice who looked very upset, and was stricter than usual concerning head duties. I yelled at two Gryffindors for being too loud in the common room, and at everyone who tried to come and talk to me. As the week wore on, I slowly became more myself. I forgot all about Severus and concentrated on N.E.W.T. work, which was proving to be much more difficult than sixth year. Life was normal. Even James had become more like himself. Although I despised the arrogent toerag he was, It was nice to be back in a familiar pattern.

"Lily, my love for you burns brighter than the sun! Be my girlfriend?"

"No, Potter."

"Admit it! You have feelings for me!"

"Not on your life."

"Denial won't do you any good, Lils!"

"Potter, If you don't leave in three seconds, I will hex you into space!"

"Okay, Lilykins, I get your drift. I'll let you process the fact that you're in love, and catch you at Hogsmede next weekend!"

"MERLIN! GET OUT!"

Our famed matches of wit weren't solely based on Potters relentless attempts to woo me. Some were, as Alice put it, more of 'lovers quarrels'. I highly doubted that, but I admit it was fun to scream at Potter and try to make him look like a fool in the middle of the Great Hall. It was after one of these that I heard my name.

"Miss Evans, Mr. Potter." The stern voice came from Professor McGonagall, as she strode brislky towards up. I glanced around me. Both our books had been strewn around the floor when we stood up to yell. The entire hall went back to sheepishly eating their lunch, not wanting to admit who they were cheering on. However, I swore I saw coins change hands under tables. McGonagall motioned us towards her. We walked out of the Great Hall and down a long corridor. I knew where we were going, McGonagalls office! I suddenly began to panic. Were we in trouble? What would happen? Was this going to cost me my badge? Oh, merlin. I should have really been more careful! I was going to get a detention! It would be on my permanent record!

Potter noticed my discomfort and winked at me.

"Never gotten in trouble, eh Evans?" He whispered

"Of course not!" I said fiercely, "I'm Head Girl! I don't get into trouble! and now, thanks to you, I'm going to lose my badge!"

I was so busy yelling at Potter I didn't notice McGonagall stop. I almost ran into her, but James pulled me back just in time. He smirked, I frowned.

* * *

><p>"In here, you two." She ushered us in to the large stone chamber. I noticed it was decorated like the Gryffindor common room, but less comfy. The Professor sat down behind a large oak desk, and James and I took seats in front. I immediatly started to make excuses.<p>

"Believe me, Professor! I didn't mean for it to get that out of hand! We were only exchanging words! I never would had done it if I had known it would get as loud as it did! Will we get detentions? I truly am sorry! I can't have a-"

"Miss Evans, thats enough. I'm not here to punish you, although I will say, that was a bit out of control. Next time, I would like you to save your personal arguments for the common room."

I sighed in relief, glad that I was detention-free.

"However, I do want to talk to you."

"Yes?"

"As you may know, Professor Dumbledore has arranged for a delegation of students from Salem Witches Institute in Massachusetts to visit. They will be arriving on December seventh, and will stay until just before finals, June first."

I gasped, compleatly taken aback. Salem? as in, _America_? I looked at James, who was just as surprised as I was.

"Professor," I asked, timidly, "Do you really think that's the best idea?"

She looked at me sharply. "I think we can let bygones be bygones, Miss Evans."

"Wait," James interjected, "Whats wrong with Salem?"

"Potter! Do you ever read?"

"Only if I need too."

"Well you must not be paying attention in History of Magic either."

"Psh, of course not."

This eraned him a sharp glance from the professor, but she bade me to continue.

"Potter, in 1873, Salem Witches Intitute and Hogwarts got into a fight about an object. It was a magic mirror, that let you see anything you needed to. All you had to say was "Show me" and then the object or place you wanted to see. Hogwarts had it and was using it to search for Grindlewald, while Salem wanted it to make sure their land wa secure. There was a huge fight, and long story short, the mirror was stolen. No one knows by who, or where it is now. Ever since then, Hogwarts has blamed Salem for the dissapearence, and Salem thinks its all a hoax and Hogwarts has the mirror." I turned to McGonagall. "Ma'am, has the conflict been resolved?"

"No, Miss Evans, it has not. I am glad, though, that you have been paying attention in class. The Headmaster thinks it is time to extend the olive wreath and give them a chance. After all, it was over a hundred years ago."

James seemed to be slightly interested, and he began to speak. "Professor, that was very interesting, but what does it have to do with us Heads?"

"Well, Mr. Potter, I think that, as Head Boy and Girl, you two will be in charge of the encounter."

Both James and I looked at the Professor, surprised.

"Now, now, it's not as bad as it sounds. All you need to to is prepare sleeping quarters for the students and arrange class schedules for them. I believe we have 17 students coming, 8 girls and 9 boys." At this, It was my turn to look confused.

"Professor, Isn't it the Salem_ Witches _Institute? How can boys go there?

"Miss Evans, about fifteen years ago, Salem decided to let boys in. They keep the name as homage to their ancestors. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. All the students are in sixth or seventh year. The rooms should be near the Great Hall, and I think Mr. Potter can arrange them." Here, she smiled at James as if they shared a secret.

"Thank you, Professor," I smiled, "This sounds like a wonderful opportunify for inter-school unity."

"Indeed, Miss Evans. You are free to go." We stood up to leave, as McGonagall said something.

"One more thing, I was wondering if you could plan a ball? Maybe in the spring, as a goodbye to them."

"Yes of course! We'll get right on it!"

"Thank you, Go ahead, I think you both have Potions? Don't want you to be late!"

With that, James and I left and headed towards the dungeons.

"Aren't you excited? This is going to be great! We're going to meet Wizards from other countries!" I continued to ramble about all of the exposure we would get, when I realized James was silent.

"Potter, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

With that, he slipped behind a tapestry and I decided that Mr. Potter had mysteriously taken sick for Potions.

* * *

><p>JAMES POV<p>

I hurried along the passegway, still in shock at Professor McGonagalls announcement. I pulled a mirror out of my pocket, thanking Merlin for Sirius' brilliant mind.

"Sirius!" I whispered frantically. "Padfoot!"

"What? Merlin, Prongs, I'm actually _in_ a class right now, believe it or not, what do you want?"

"Get your ass to the North Tower! I need help!"

"Fine, fine, I'm on my way." I heard him mumble to himself about being the best friend anyone could ask for. Then I heard him rummage in his bag. He pulled out a dungbomb, winked at me, and put the mirror away. I laughed at the poor class as I began to make my way to the tower, our secret meeting spot.

As I walked up the thousands of stairs to the tiny room, I thought about my horrible luck. Of all the schools, It had to be Salems. Of course, It wasn't like Dumbledore knew about Emma, and our summer fling. And just when things were getting on well with Lily, I now was going to have to deal with another girl!

I walked into the freezing stone room and grabbed the firewhisky from our secret store. Padfoot arrived a minute later.

"Merlin, Prongs, already planning a party?"

"Pads, be serious. I have huge news!"

"You and Evans have finally shagged?"

I pelted him with my bottlecap.

"No, you dipshit, more serious than that, and _don't even think about it._" I said as I was him gearing up for the old "Sirius/Serious" joke. It was getting old. Siriusly.

He grabbed a bottle and sat down across from me.

"Ok, spill."

"Remember summer holiday after fourth year?"

"Oh, the one where that hot chick moved in next door?"

"Yeah. Remember that girl?"

"Of course! She was smokin'!"

"Shut Up!"

he sobered up quickly.

"Okay, no more jokes. Whats got your wand in a knot?"

"That girl, Emma Wilkes, Who I've had a summer relationship with ever since fourth year, is coming here."

"Prongs, whats wrong with you? She goes to that school in the United States. Whats it called, Salami Witches?"

"_Salem_, idiot. And were having a delegation of students coming to the school!"

"A delegation? thats not all of them, though, right?"

I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. "No, but knowing Emma, she'll do anything to find me. I broke it off last summer, thinking of Lily-"

"Of course, thats the root of this problem. _Lily._"

I exhaled in annoyance. "Of course it is! I told Emma I had a girl back at school, and thats why I broke it! I mean, I was kinda hoping we'd be together by now, but it was more of the fact that she is the most clingy person ever! And considering Peter, thats saying something!"

"Prongs, mate, calm down. You have until..when?"

"December 7th."

"Ah, so about two months until you have to see her. Surely thats enough time to get Evans,"

"Sirius, you don't get it! I tried. I tried to be the guy she wanted. I tried not to insult her, to ignore her, but it was too hard!"

"I know, mate, I've heard you enough times. So what are you going to do?"

Trust Sirius to be blunt about it.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know."

"Prongs, you have to deal with this. Luckily, I have a plan..."

I put my face in my hands. Anything that had to do with what we dubbed the Padfoot Plans couldn't end well.

"Aw, James. Don't pretend you don't love my plans!"

"Pads, your last "plan" ended with eleven wizards from the Department for the Control of Magical Creatures coming in to remove that, what was it?"

"A mix between a Boa Constrictor and a Lion! I called it a Boalion! Minnie _said_ we should show more house unity." He smiled fondly at the memory

"Yeah, 'cause a huge snake covered in hair that roars is very pleasing when found in your common room."

"Prongs, it was the Slytherin common room! and yeah, it was pretty pleasing."

"Sirius, as much as I trust you, I'm not about to put my relationship in your hands."

"No! Prongsie! I have a really good plan this time! I'm positive it will make Evans fall for you!"

I sighed, knowing he wouldn't let me leave unless I agreed to whatever crazy plan this dog had come up with.

"Fine, what do I need to do..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey! So I totally just changed the story idea :) Thats what I get for watching Beauty and the Beast as I'm writing! Please R&R! And Im so glad I got this up so fast! i know how much I hate waiting for stories, so I'll try to update at least once every two weeks, probably more frequently! :) thansk for reading, you sont know how much each review/favourite/follower means to me!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to my BetaReader, Jas! You've helped me so much! :D **

**DISCLAIMER: Nope, I own **_**nada**_

LILY'S POV

I pondered James' reaction all through classes that day. What's so bad about Salem? Maybe it was a Marauder thing.

I went to bed peacefullythat night, thinking that the worried James was kind of... nice. He seemed like he had actual feelings, and wasn't just being a prat. The next morning, I went down to the Great Hall, ready to apologize and offer my help, when something made my face turn pale as snow, and then red with fury, matching my hair.

The entire hall had been turned red, from the walls to the floor. Each of the tables was yellow and seemed to be covered in gold tablecloth. Behind the Teachers Table, a large banner hung, with the words "There's a reason we're better than you, We have Lily Evans." underneath was a picture of me blowing a kiss to the hall. Beneath, in slightly smaller print, was a heart, with "Admit your love" written in cursive.

I gathered a huge breath, ready to yell at someone.

"POTTER!"

Everyone looked around, searching for the boy my shouts were directed at, gearing up for a fight. Sadly, he seemingly wasn't there. I sighed, ready to storm up to the Common Room. It wasn't as public, but nice when it was considered "A bad example for the Head Girl to hex her counterpart". I flew to the Fat Lady, and breathlessly gave her the password.

"Balbutiate"

The portrait opened and I took the stairs two at a time to reach the dorm. Thank Merlin that girls were considered more trustworthy. Not even bothering to knock, I swung the door open.

"James William Potter! What the _hell_ was that? What on Ea-"

I suddenly stopped my tirade, noticing the lack of pigheaded boys in the room. The only occupant was Sirius Black. Well, maybe not so lacking.

"Black." I was almost spitting, _"Where is Potter"_

he looked up, surprised I was still there.

"Oh, I don't know. Probably hiding from your reign of terror. He's found out that you're a lot less dangerous if we let you cool down a bit." He smirked.

"Fine. If I can't find _him,_ I'll settle for _you._"

He looked a tad nervous, having seen Potter and I going after each other. He knew I was vicious, and I knew this was going to be fun.

"Black. What was with the Great Hall?" I asked, my voice **a **steely calm.

"Um, well, it was a prank, you see. We Marauders are kind of famous for them."

Oh, so he thought he could poke fun at me? Bastard.

"Well, not everyone found it amusing! Do you know how _embarrassing_ it was? Do you know how many people were laughing! EVERYONE! Merlin! You'd think that even dunderheads such as yourselves could have had a bit of respect for a person! You four boys are the lowest, most idiotic _dickheaded_ people I have ever met! Now, should I tell McGonagall, or will you?" I pulled out my wand, ready to use one of my many hexes if he decided to joke about this.

"Evans, I'm sorry."

Exactly! _Fun-_ wait. Sorry? Was Black..._apologizing?_

"What was that, Black?" I must have misunderstood.

"I'm sorry, no, we're sorry. Prongs and I. Moony and Wormtail had nothing to do with this one. And we never meant to hurt you, well, maybe I meant to tease you a bit, but not Prongs. This was all my idea. Don't blame Prongs."

I was taken aback at this show of loyalty. "And why should I believe you? Potter is the constant cause of my stress. It's not like him to hate a prank."

"God dammit, Evans! Are you that blind?"

"Blind from what, exactly?"

"You're really thick, you know that?"

I glared at him, and he held up his hands in defense as he continued.

"Evans, _Lily,_ Prongs, see, all these dates and compliments, they're not jokes."

"Of course they are, idiot. And I'm not going to become his girlfriend because I'm the only girl James Potter can't seduce."

"Evans! He means it! He's not joking! Prongs talks about you constantly, and frankly, it's getting quite annoying. Do you know how amazing my silencing charms are now?"

"Black, on topic, please."

"Oh, right. Anyway, Prongsie really likes you. He want to go out with you for reasons other than the fact that you turn him down all the time. He _lo-_"Sirius stopped, looking as if he had been punched in the gut.

"Black, what were you going to say?"

"Nothing, nothing. You know, now that you're no longer looking like you're going to eat my head off, I'd enjoy some peace and quiet and go find Prongs."

He ushered me out of the room and slammed the door. I stood there, confused, thinking about what he said. Did Potter, the ever arrogant git, actually have a heart? Was Black telling the truth?

As I pondered these thoughts, I heard a _thump_ come from the room. As my train of thought stopped, I heard not one, but two, voices coming from the room.

"Pads, what was that?" I heard a furtive whisper that sounded like Potter for some reason.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about! The point was to make Evans like me, not to sca-"

Out of curiosity, I opened the door. A look of shock crossed the face of two boys in the room. Sirius was standing next to Potter who was carrying some shiny fabric in his hands.

"_Potter?_"

"_Lily?"_

"Merlin, Padfoot, you didn't _Muffliato _the door?"

"Well, It might have slipped my mind..." Sirius smiled sheepishly.

"Potter, Black, _what the hell is going on?"_

"Oh...well..." Potter stammered, running his hands through his hair.

"Let me handle this, Prongs." Sirius interjected. "Evans, the truth is..." Here, Potter tackled Sirius onto the bed. As he was holding his best mate in a headlock, he continued the answer.

"Um, you see, Evans, I...er...I flew in! Yeah, I flew in the window!" He gestured to the window. "Yep! I just got out of Quidditch and decided it would be faster to just fly up."

"Then why do you have an invisibility cloak?"

"Oh, this? I, um..."

"Save it, Potter. Tell me the real reason."

"Ok..." James played with his glasses nervously. "Well, I wanted to see how you would react when you found out Pads and I played that prank. I hid under my invisibility cloak to see what would happen."

"You have an invisibility cloak?"

"Yeah, it was my dad's. We use it for most of our pranks."

As much as I hated to admit, his story was plausible. However, something seemed off.

"Okay, Potter, I'll take your word this time. But never pull a prank like that again!"

I stalked off, but not before I heard him sigh in relief.

What was up with them?

At lunch, the Marauders, who sat about five feet away from Alice and I, were still acting odd. Lupin was very sullen, and James looked...apprehensive. Sirius looked excited and Peter looked as he always did- hungry. Alice was going on about Frank, and the date they had planned for the Hogsmead visit. He was in town for the day, the Auror Academy had given him the weekend off.

"It's going to be so sweet!" she gushed, "We're spending the entire afternoon together! After we go to Three Broomsticks, we'll check out stationery for wedding invitations. Frank loves the color scheme for the reception being a sunrise theme, symbolizing new beginnings..."

I tuned her out. As much as I love Alice, she rambles, and he rambling was taking time away from my discovery of the Marauders secret. I slid down the table, pretending to reach for some juice, while my ears picked up what they were saying. Sirius was whispering something to Remus.

"...She knows something! Moony, one day or another, you're going to have to tell her! Think about all the cuts Prongs and I bring back! we know she's a great healer, maybe she could help!"

"No! Padfoot, I don't want to risk what little friendship we have. What if she judges me?"

James interrupted. "Moony, Lily wouldn't judge you, and I'll admit, her healing skills are probably ten times better than Peters."

I gasped. They were talking about me! What would I judge?

"Prongs. I don't want anything to happen. Even if she doesn't judge me, what will keep her from telling everyone?"

"Remus. Just because you have a "furry little problem" doesn't mean you're odd. You're the calmest, most reliable prankster I've ever met, and you're one of my best mates. If we get married someday, and you're godfather to our second child-"

Here Sirius called in, playfully "I have dibs on the first!"

"-Then she'll need to know. And if I know anything about Lily, I know she'll never tell"

"I'll think about it, maybe tell her next week. She might already know, remember, Snape was her best friend and he knew. Oh, by the way, we should leave a little early. This month's supposed to be rough. "

"How's ten?"

"Great."

The conversation seemed over, but Remus was obviously still debating telling me some secret, something having to do with Severus. I immediately thought through the facts as I slid back over to Alice, juice in my hands. Suddenly, my brain clicked, and I flashed back to third year.

_"Lily, have you heard my latest theory?"_

_"Sev, you're crazy." I smiled at the greasy boy next to me. Everyone thought It was crazy, a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, but Sev was nothing like the other Slytherins._

_"Lily, listen!"_

_We walked out the front doors over to our favorite tree by the lake. I sat down and spread my books around me. Sev sat down next to me, looking intently into my eyes._

_"Lily! You've got to admit, Lupin goes to see his mother every month?"_

_"She's sick."_

_"_every month?_ At the full moon?"_

_"I know your theory. It's crazier than my sister."_

_"And what about Potter and his mates?"_

_We both scowled and looked over at the arrogant Gryffindors who had become snarky, insufferable pranksters. Sev continue:_

_"They disappear every month as well! And Lupin always looks sick after he visits his 'sick mum'? You'd be thick not to suspect anything. I'm positive that Lupin's a werewolf."_

I gasped, putting it together in my head. Sev had been right! Lupin had no "sick mother" and _was_ always ill and in the hospital wing once a month! I quickly checked my astronomy book. There was a full moon tonight! But what did James and Sirius mean when they said about "the cuts they bring back"? Were they going with him?

Oh Merlin. I didn't know much about them, but I knew that werewolves were a danger to humans, and Black, Potter, and maybe Peter, were running around with one once a month.

**A/N: Thannks for reading! ATTENTION! Considering the change in plot, The title will be changed! This story is now called "Another Player in the Game"! next chapter should be up sometime this week! reviews are appreciated :)**

**~Jaily**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long! I have a choir concert Saturday and was busy preparing! Anyway, chapter 5!**

**DISCLAIMER: J.K.R. wouldn't be caught with her name on this, are you kidding?**

* * *

><p>I was nervous for the rest of the day. I couldn't concentrate in classes and, much to Alice's dismay, my potion blew up in her face as I added the wrong ingredient to the draught during potions. In Transfiguration, I almost got my first detention for lack of attention. Luckily, the Marauders took that moment to set off a dungbomb, so McGonagall was busy yelling at them. I was mercifully forgotten. My anxiety, however, kept returning.<p>

The Marauders' care-free attitude towards everything didn't help. They laughed and joked as usual, winking at girls and snarling at Slytherins. James even had the nerve to ask me out! On this day of all days!

"Evans," He said, catching up to me as I strode towards Charms, "How about you and I take a stroll down to Hogsmede this weekend?"

I looked at him, shocked.

"Really, Potter? Must you even ask?"

He gave me a lop-sided grin. "Oh, my bad. I knew you'd say yes."

"That's right-WAIT WHAT? Get back here James Potter!" I shrieked as he sprinted down the halls.

By dinner, I was feeling a jumbled mess of emotion. I was furious with Potter, the slimy git, still surprised about Remus, afraid for what James, Sirius, and Peter were up to, and confused as to why I cared if they lived or died all at the same time. I barely ate anything, claiming that I had a stomach ache. Alice, however, saw right through my ruse.

"Okay, Lily," She said, pulling me out of the Great Hall and to the dorms. "What's wrong. Stomach ache? Really? I thought I taught you better than that." She smiled, but my stupid emotions must have shown on my face.

"Lils, it's okay." She pulled me into a tight hug, and then held my shoulders. I looked into her eyes and knew that, as my best friend, she was entitled to know.

"Alice, I- uh..." I stammered. How did you put this nicely? "Um, er..."

"Sheesh, Lily. Get it out."

"Remusisawerewolf!" I mumbled softly yet forcefully. I glanced up from the floor, looking for her reaction. She glanced at me in surprise, then her look turned to one of joy.

"Lily! You didn't know?" She laughed at me, grinning my confusion. "Oh, Lily. You're thick! And here I was, thinking that all the Seventh years knew. Oh, you poor thing! How long have you been holding that in?"

"Since lunch."

"Oh... Have you told Remus?"

"No! I don't know how!"

"I'd start with James or Sirius. They're able to help and have worse reactions than Remus. They're very loyal, you know?"

The bell rang, signaling the end of dinner. The students came flooding into the halls. I felt Alice give me a quick hug and run off somewhere. Heading towards the Common Room, I prepared myself for a confrontation.

* * *

><p>It was almost eight pm and I still hadn't said anything. The sun was beginning to set and I knew I didn't have much time. The Marauders were sitting in a corner of the room, whispering to themselves. The only other occupants were a sixth year and me. Soon enough, the sixth year left as well, grabbing her books and clambering up the stairs.<p>

I was suddenly very scared. What if they suddenly hated me? I was going to have to let instinct take over. Putting down the Charms book I was studying, I walked over to the four huddled boys.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat. All four looked up at me. "Black, can I talk to you?"

Sirius looked up in surprise. I motioned him over away from his friends. He raised an eyebrow, obviously confused. I knew exactly why. I made a point to never acknowledge Sirius. Out of all the Marauders, he was the one I connected with the least. He was as arrogant as Potter, but with a certain charm which made his fan club twice as large as Potters (a point he brought up at any moment). His silky black hair and story gray eyes gave him a devilish charm, according to most girls between the ages of thirteen and eighteen.

I pushed him to a corner and mentally asked myself why I was doing this. My fear for the boys, however, pushed that voice down, reminding me of their danger.

"Black, I know."

"Know what, Evans?" He asked, obviously thinking it was some kind of joke. "That I'm super sexy and have the shiniest hair in all of Hogwarts?" He flipped his hair and smiled cockily.

"Sirius, listen!" I hissed. My use of his first name shut him up really fast. I never called the Marauders by their first names. It kept us from getting too friendly.

His eyes turned serious (no pun intended) and he asked, quieter, "Okay, what?"

"I know about Remus." He looked at me, wondering why I had mentioned Remus, and then comprehension dawned on his face. His eyes lit up with understanding, but then turned to anger. He pulled out his wand and as fast as lightning, had me shoved against the wall, holding his wand to my throat before I even had time to blink.

"Evans, if you tell _anyone_ I swear by all that is holy that _I will kill you._" The venom was obvious in his voice, and it was loud enough to draw James, Remus, and Peter over.

James saw Sirius holding me and shouted, "Oi, What the _hell_ do you think you're doing! Put her down!"

"Prongs!" He shouted, thankfully putting me down as he turned to yell at his best mate. I had never seen that side of Sirius, and it scared me.

"She knows, mate, _she knows."_ He whispered, shooting glances at Remus. James gasped before continuing to glared at Sirius.

"Well you didn't need to scare her! Look! She's crying!" Everyone glanced at me, and I was surprised to feel hot tears on my cheeks. Remus, however, looked in pain.

"Remus," I whispered, "Can I talk to you?"

He nodded his head, and I walked towards him.

"Remus, I-" He held up a hand, effectively cutting me off.

"Lily, I see your fear, and completely understand if you never want to speak to me again. I just don't want the whole school to know. I know you're disgusted and-" Now, I cut him off.

"Disgusted? Remus, you're the nicest person I know! Why would I be disgusted? For that matter, why would I be afraid?"

"Lily, I don't think you understand. I'm a monster."

"Remus, you turn into a werewolf once a month. If it took me this long to figure out, you don't show signs ever! No matter what happens once a month, you're still Remus. Perfect Prefect, calm Marauder, studious boy! Nothing can change who you are, not even this." I smiled at him and she looked at me in awe.

"Lily, do you mean that?"

"Of course." I gave him a hug, but he quickly let go. I realized James and Sirius were watching, James murderously looking at Remus for some unknown reason.

Sirius glaring at me. I stared back and got the message loud and clear. "_You hurt Remus, I hurt you."_ I was genuinely surprised at this show of affection, but it soon reminded me of the real reason I was here.

"Potter, why is it, that every full moon, you are mysteriously absent as well?"

I saw him stare at me in shock as I advanced towards him and continued.

"You three go with him, don't you?" They nodded sheepishly. "You do know the danger, right? Humans are in grave danger around werewolves! How can you go gallivanting around school when you could die at any time!"

"Lily," James caught me as I pulled out my wand. His hand grabbed my wrist, pulling it down. "We're not in danger."

"Oh really?" I said, my voice dripping in sarcasm, "And why is that?"

James looked to Sirius, and Peter. Both of them nodded and he smiled.

"Pads, Wormtail, you take Moony. I'll show Lily our surprise and meet you there in about ten minutes."

They nodded and left, leaving James and I standing awkwardly in the common room. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand, and we ran out the portrait.

* * *

><p>Hustling along the corridors, we came to the unused Charms room. It was one of the larger rooms in the castle, but filled with cobwebs and dust from years of disuse.<p>

"Now Lily," James said, after he closed and locked the doors. The moonlight streamed through the windows, shining on his grave face.

"As with Remus', condition, you can't tell a soul about this. Not only would we be expelled, but we would be in trouble with the law as well. I need you to promise me you can keep this secret."

"If it was against the law, why are you doing it?" I countered, my prefect side taking over.

"Do you realize how much pain Remus is in every month? When he transforms, it's as if something is pulling him apart. His own mind and human soul get pushed to the side. He becomes a beast. How do you think he deals with it? When he's cooped up in the Shrieking Shack- yeah, Remus is the 'ghost'- he can't run. Werewolves need to run, to be free, and without someone to keep him in check, he has to stay in that dismal house. Instead of taking it out through running, he hurts himself. He has to bite and scratch himself to stay alive and not go crazy.

"Remus needed someone, or three 'someone's, and as his best mates, we stepped up. I'll deny this if you ever say it, but we love Remus to pieces. We're all brothers with bonds deeper than you can imagine, so if we needed to break a little law to help him, I would do it again and again."

I saw the fierce loyalty shining in his eyes, and realized then how special the Marauders truly were. They weren't just pranksters, they had secrets and fears. Those secrets and fears were what kept them from falling to pieces. They had a relationship stronger than anything I could think of.

This newfound knowledge gave me a higher level of respect for Potter. I nodded in understanding, and his features loosened up.

"Good. Now, to get on with the show!" He stepped back into a large patch of moonlight, and something incredible happened. His entire being was bathed in the silvery glow of moonlight and it transformed. One minute, there was a boy, the next, a large, majestic stag. His silvery-gray fur covered strong muscular legs. The antlers twisted an curved like a delicate chandelier. They eyes, however, were the same shining eyes that James always had.

"Prongs," I breathed, as the animal clopped towards me. I put out my hand and he nuzzled my cheek. I laughed as his nose inched its way down, pursuing away the boy that was obviously still in there. Suddenly, he turned back into human form.

"Illegal animagi." I said, comprehension dawning on me. He merely nodded.

"We did it in third year. Remus was talking about how painful every time had been, and we decided to help him. he was adamant, scared we would get hurt, but we talked him into it. It was a good thing, too. Without his help, we would have never done it. We finally got it at the end of fifth year. I'm a stag, Sirius is a black dog, and Peter's a rat. He pushes a knot in the Whomping Willow that pauses the branches, letting us into the tunnel that leads to the shack."

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs!" I smiled, finally getting the concept of those absurd nicknames.

"Exactly," He said, smiling back. "Now, I have to go, they'll be waiting."

"Wait, James!" I called, as he walked to the door. "You're a very good friend."

He turned back to me, his smile reaching his ears. "You called me James!" He said, his voice filled with glee.

"Oh, I guess I did." We smiled, and he left me, wondering how he could have gotten even more complex. I used to think boys were the simplest creatures on Earth. Now, I knew that they were just very good at covering up emotion.

**A/N: There you go! The standard Lily-finds-out-about-Remus bit! Hope you liked it :) Next chapeter by Friday hopefully! (Next Friday :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Wow! 5 chapters! Befor number six, I want to thank all of my reviewers. You guys don't know how much you've boosted my confidence! So thanks a million to:**

**jerry12teen**

**lexi427**

**sunshiniite**

**Katie-potatey-I hope the Lily/Remus thing lived up to your expectations!**

**IzzyHerondale-LOVE your name! I'm a fan of the Mortal Instruments series too!**

**Amna-This story used to be called "A Light in Endless Darkness". I changed the story line when the other one got really dark and depressing. I decided to write a lighter story, and "Another Player in the Game" was born :)**

**I love each and every one of you, and hope those of you who read this will review! I mean, see how fast I updated? That's because of reviews :)**

**DISCLAIMER: To be put simply, no.**

A few weeks passed uneventfully. The Marauders and I were on better terms. I guess knowing their darkest secret bonded us. We joked more and fought less. James and I still bickered, but that was to be expected. It was more teasing, and less intentional pain, at least from me.

I soon found that life as a friend of the Marauders was nice. I was excluded from some of the less-flattering pranks, and I found out how funny they truly were. James and Sirius were top of Transfiguration, which was helpful since it wasn't my best. However, I should have known this stable peace was too good to last. 

McGonagall called us to her office on the day of the first snowfall. As we walked out of Arithmancy, I suddenly realized why we were being summoned. 

"Potter!" I hissed, "We were supposed to plan stuff for the kids from Salem!" 

"Shit! I completely forgot." He actually seemed ashamed, which was a new emotion in the world of James Potter. He stopped suddenly, and pulled me into a broom closet. 

"Potter! What the hell do you think you're doing?" 

"Figuring this out. We can tell McGonagall we were held up by Peeves. Now, what do we need?" 

I was shocked by his sudden leadership, but ignored it to look at the more pressing matters. 

"Okay, well, it's the 28th, so the students will be arriving in nine days. We need quarters for them, as well as table assignments and schedules. How many students?" 

"Seventeen." He answered, promptly, "Eight boys and nine girls." 

"Good. We can put them at the Gryffindor table, and they can take the classes of the average seventh year student. We'll see to it they're put in Potions, Defense, Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic, Herbology, and Astronomy. We can let them choose one elective to take as well. Now, sleeping arrangements?" 

"Oh, my dear Lily, I'm ahead of you on that." He smiled and opened the door of the closet. Wondering what his idea was, I walked out. We hustled to McGonagalls office and rapped on the door. 

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Miss Evans. May I ask where you two have been?" 

"Sorry, Professor. We were held up by Peeves." 

McGonagall seemed to take this as an answer and motioned for us to sit. 

"I assume you have a plan for the Salem students?" 

"Why, yes, we do." James cut in front of me, beginning to explain. 

"The students will sit at the Gryffindor table, taking the standard seventh year classes. They can take on elective course as well. We can house them in the Room of Requirement, which will be charmed so that no one can change it." 

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. That sounds perfect. One more thing, Salem has their own sort of Heads system, not unlike our own. They have two student co-presidents who make rules with the help of a student delegation. The two students who are the current presidents will be visiting. As they are in the same positions as you, I would like you to work with them to plan the Spring Ball. I have a list of the names here." 

She pulled out a slip of parchment with seventeen names written in neat cursive. On top were two names under the heading: Presidents. It seemed as if we would be working with two students names Drew Baker and Emma Wilkes. 

I glanced at Potter, surprised to see him pale, looking at the sheet as if it would bite him. 

"Thank you, Professor." I said, covering up for James. "We'll take this and get the schedules made."  
>"Of course. You are free to go, and, since there seem to be very few minutes left in class, you are excused from returning." <p>

We thanked her again and left. 

As we walked through the empty halls, our footsteps echoing in the chambers, I looked at Potter. His face was still shocked and he seemed unresponsive. 

"Potter, what's wrong?" 

He didn't look at me, didn't even stop walking. 

"Potter!" I said, a bit louder. No response. 

I grabbed his shoulder and looked into his eyes. "James!" 

He snapped out of his trance and looked at me. 

"What, Evans," he mumbled. 

"Okay, Potter, what's wrong? You obviously have some aversion to a name on the list. Who is it, and why is it affecting you?" 

"Oh, so you care about me now?" He spat in my face. 

"No, Potter." I said coldly, surprised by his reaction, "I want to know what's keeping you from being helpful." 

"Considering I figured out the room situation by myself, I wouldn't say I'm unhelpful." 

"Considering you just started yelling at me and seem to clam up every time Salem is mentioned, I'd say something pretty damn big is going on! Tell me!" 

"No, Evans. Why would I tell you? You know too much as it is." He stormed away, and I stood there, shocked at the new side of him I was seeing. 

! 

As luck would have it, Potter and I didn't stay mad for long. He gave me an excuse for his behavior that was flimsy at best. However, considering our present situation, I decided I would question him later. 

The days went by in a blur. We worked late into the nights charming the Room of Requirement and making schedules. Some days we would laugh and joke around, and others we would sit in heavy silence. 

Finally, December seventh appeared. It suddenly seemed as if we had been planning for hours, and weren't prepared. James woke up in a huff, and came downstairs disheveled. We walked to breakfast together, preparing the speech that was to be given to the students. 

After we had eaten, I pulled him up to the front of the room. 

"Good morning, everyone." I said loudly. However, no one seemed to listen. 

"Oi!" James suddenly yelled. "Shut up, you lot!" 

The hall went quiet. James really had an effect on them. 

"Thank you. As I was saying, good morning. Today is a very special day for us." 

"Finally announcing your wedding?" Sirius shouted from the Gryffindor table. I sent him a glare. 

"No, we are having a delegation of students from Salem Witches Institute visiting this year. Seventeen students will be arriving around lunchtime. They have dorms that have been set up, and their schedules will follow those of the average seventh year student. I hope you all give them a warm welcome! Enjoy your breakfast." 

With that, I walked off to the table, James following me mournfully. 

"Only five hours," He murmured softly, "Five hours 'till hell." 

I knew better than to ask, what with that night's experience, and decided to wait and see what had gotten James' wand in a knot. 

! 

When lunchtime rolled around, everyone seemed excited for the strange American visitors. No one ate anything during the lunch hour, but we were held back from classes to welcome them. The tables and windows had been polished and the house banners behind the teachers' table had been freshly dusted.

The sky above was clear and blue, perfect for our guests. I stood up next to Dumbledore and James, my hair shining and straight, my uniform crisp and pleated. James stood next to me, and I nonchalantly scourgified his messy outfit. His hair was as unruly as ever, and he looked more agitated than I had been at O.W.L.s. 

I was about to ask him what was the matter, when the doors opened. In came the delegation from Salem. 

There was a headmistress, or as she was apparently called, a Dean, leading the line. She had simple gray robes with a white blouse and pencil skirt underneath. Her black hair was pulled back in a strict bun, not unlike McGonagalls. Behind her came the students. Leading the lines were the co-presidents. 

Emma had long blonde hair that was wavy with caramel highlights. She was about the same height as me, with curves I would die for. Her heavy makeup made her green eyes look deeper, and her lips were full and red, slathered in lip gloss. Her outfit seemed to say "sexy schoolgirl" with a simple white shirt with the top buttons left undone, exposing the cleavage. Her skirt was short and made her legs look longer. She had a small smile that seemed to be hiding a secret. 

Her counterpart, Drew, was totally different. He was tall, with chocolaty brown hair swept across his head. He was taller than James, who stood at six foot even. His eyes were a deep blue, and had a calming aura to them. He wore his clothing with a carefree elegance like Sirius, except he seemed more studious. His face was dotted with freckles and his mile was sweet, to say the least. 

Behind Drew and Emma were the fifteen other students all in matching uniforms with an ornate "S" on the right shoulder of their blazers. They waltzed down the hall, and stopped in front of Dumbledore. 

"Ah," Said, Dumbledore, smiling, "Welcome, Madam Whittier. It's good to see you again." 

"It's good to see you as well, Mr. Dumbledore," she replied, her American accent pronounced. 

"I presume this is Miss Wilkes and Mr. Baker?" 

Emma and Drew stepped up. Emma held out her hand. 

"Pleased to meet you, Professor," She said, her voice high and melodious. 

"Nice to meet you, Sir." Said Drew, his voice clear as a bell. 

"And the same to you." He said, pleasantly, "These are our head students, equivalent to presidents, James Potter and Lily Evans." 

We shook hands, and I noticed Emma looking at James intently. What had happened? Maybe she was just enamored like every other girl in his presence. 

Dumbledore addressed the school, and ushered the Salem students to the Gryffindor table. James and I followed and sat across from Emma and Drew. 

James sat sullenly, and Emma was obviously trying to get his attention. Instead of talking to the girl who

I had immediately tagged as the epitome of "dumb blonde", I began to talk to Drew. 

"Hi Drew, I'm Lily." I said, smiling. 

"Yeah, I know." He said cheekily. 

"How do you like the U.K. so far?" 

"Oh, it's really different from America. You guys all have funny accents." 

I laughed at that. If he only knew how funny he sounded! 

We talked about everything. Classes, sports, (America had a more violent game similar to Quidditch), and, of course, love life. 

"So, Drew, do you have a girl back home?" 

I looked at his face, wondering why he was uncomfortable. 

"Um, Lily, I'm gay." 

"Oh, okay. Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked, smiling. I hoped he knew I wasn't afraid of him or anything. 

"Wait, you don't hate me?" 

"I'm not a homophobe, Drew." 

He smiled, and I could tell we were going to be good friends. 

Drew seemed much more open after his confession. He told me about his friends and family back home, and was surprised when I didn't say anything about my past and family. 

"What was your life like?" 

"Oh, I don't like to talk about my past." 

"Aw, c'mon, Lils," 

The nickname my father had given me hit a nerve. 

"No. I'm not talking about that." I snapped. He looked taken aback, but bounced back fast. 

"Okay, whatever. So, where are James and Emma?" 

I looked around realizing our counterparts had left the table. 

"We should find them and show your students where they're sleeping." 

"Of course." 

We stood up and went outside, looking around for the lost couple. I turned the corner, and saw a sight my eyes weren't prepared for. 

James held Emma in a close embrace, her hands sifting through his hair, his lips devouring hers. 

Well, seemed as if I found out what James had been hiding.

**A/N: Yay! Cliffhangers! Review and I'll update! Thanks in advance :)**


	7. Chapter 7

_Previously:  
>We stood up and went outside, looking around for the lost couple. I turned the corner, and saw a sight my eyes weren't prepared for.<br>James held Emma in a close embrace, her hands sifting through his hair, his lips devouring hers.  
>Well, seemed as if I found out what James had been hiding.<br>_JAMES' POV  
>She sat directly across from me during dinner, and I knew it was so I could see her. She was just as pretty as I remembered, the sort of sultry charm she carried was still intact.<br>"So, James, how's life?" She asked, but I knew she could care less. Lily would care...  
>"Its good, great actually."<br>We talked about normal subjects for a few minutes. She kept trying to bring up last summer, but I kept trying to steer the convorsation into safer waters. I didn't want to talk about it, becasue I knew her reaction. She would try to get us back together, I would have to bring up the horribly placed lie about Lily-who knew mum was right? Lies never get you anywhere-and then Lily would be pissed at me.  
>I continued to keep her talking about school, while keeping an eye on Lily. She seemed so happy, talking with that Drew, laughing and smiling at him. How come she never smiled at me? I heard Sirius' voice in my head:<br>"_Probably because you're always an ass around her, mate."  
><em>I chuckled at the thought, and Emma looked at me, apparently laughing was the right thing. She fell quiet, and I looked into her deep eyes, covered with smoky makeup. That was one of the differences between her and Lily. Lily never wore makeup, and she didn't need it. I shook my head, no use comparing Lily with Emma.  
>"I feel really bad about what happened last summer, and I want to make it up to you." She smiled that secretive smile I knew so well. She was hiding something, and my curiosity took over.<br>"And what might that be?" I smirked, playing into her charade of love.  
>"Let me show you." She reached for my hand and pulled me towards the door. I saw Lily chatting animatedly with the other president, Drew. He seemed like a prat. They looked happy. Wait, I didn't care anymore. I shook my head free of thoughts of Lily Evans and let Emma lead me out into the entry hall.<br>"James," She whispered, "I missed you."  
>"I missed you too, Emma." I breathed. She was so charismatic.<br>She snaked her hands around my neck, pulling me towards her. I felt her warm breath and her lips on mine. It was a teasing kiss, but it slowly got deeper. I was lost in the heat, but a face came into my mind.  
>Lily Evans. Damn her.<br>Get out!  
>I wanted to scream at her, get out of my head! I don't love you! but I knew that was a lie. I silently fought against my mind when it prevailed. I broke away from Emma.<br>"Emma, I really liked you, but-"  
>"But what, James? We had something, don't deny it. And besides. If that ginger chick was the "Lily" you constantly talked about, the reason you broke up with me, then why didn't she seem happy to see you?"<br>"Emma, I'm really sorry-"  
>"No. You're sorry, alright, but not because you broke up. You're sorry that Lily had to be here, or else we would be together."<br>"Emma, I don't like you!"  
>She stared at me, shocked. Then, she composed herself. Emma Wilkes never showed emotion. She was an endless stream of coolness, never breaking, never ending.<br>"No, no. She must have you under a love potion. A skinny bitch like her? So rule abiding, so, good-girl...so simple. You need someone complex, James. Someone sexy...interesting...like me."  
>She got closer with each word, close enough to kiss by the last. I pushed away.<br>"No means no Wilkes. Now get away from me, we need to show you're classmates to their dorms." I said, putting on my "responsible prat" attitude as Sirius called it.  
>She looked at me, almost sad.<br>"Aw, of course. I won't bother you anymore."  
>She stalked off, and although I was relieved, I had a funny feeling I should be scared.<p>

LILY'S POV  
>As Drew came up behind me in the entrance hall, I was still frozen. He looked around my shoulder, gasped, and I quickly pulled him away. Grabbing his hand, I dragged him into the nearest broom cupboard.<br>"Lily, what was that? Why are we in a broom closet?"  
>"Sorry 'bout that," I apologized, still quite confused, "Drew, whats going on with Emma and Potter?"<br>"Potter? You don't call him James? Why not?"  
>"Oh, well, we don't exactly see eye to eye."<br>I explained to him all about James' crush on me, his antics, teasing, and pranks. I told him about the thousands of cheesy pickup lines he's used on me, and even the one time he kidnapped Alice and wouldn't give her back until I went out with him. Luckily, Frank had helped me then, but I had still charmed James so his voice came out an octave higher than normal for three weeks.  
>After I had finished my ramblings, I looked to Drew, expecting him to agree with me that James was an inconsiderate arse, but he just nodded.<br>"Yes, I see..." The American said, his voice mysterious, "It seems like you think about this James bloke an awful lot, Lily..."  
>"What do you mean?"<br>"You also seem to care about his relationship with Emma quite a bit..."  
>"Relationship? When did they have a relationship!" I almost shouted, very surprised.<br>He just smiled, "The last three summers Emma has spent in Godric's Hollow, right near James' house, with her aunt and uncle. From what I know, They got together after a block party, and hung out during the summers, kinda like a summer fling. James broke it off last summer, talking about a 'girl back at school.' Emma was really broken up about it, but vowed to get James back this year when we visited."  
>For some reason, this annoyed me. I frowned, thinking of Emma and James. Drew noticed my expression, and questioned it.<br>"No, no, it's nothing." I said, reassuring him, "that sounds nice, I just don't want anything to come between the schools."  
>He looked at me suspiciously, "Of course, Lily."<br>"Well, thanks for telling me, Drew."  
>"Yeah, anytime."<br>Suddenly, the door of the broom cupboard opened and I looked into the bright light to see James and Emma looking at us.  
>"James?" I asked.<br>"Lily?" He replied, surprised, and from the look on his face, annoyed, "What the hell are you doing in here?"  
>"Talking." I said, not wanting to give him a real response.<br>"Of course," He said sarcastically, "Talking."  
>I got out of the broom cupboard with Drew's help, and faced James.<br>"Yes, Potter. We were talking. Get your hormonal mind out of the cupboard."  
>James glared at Drew before striding away. Drew followed him, presumably to tell him what happened. I was standing next to Emma, and we began to walk back to the Great Hall, ready to lead the Salem students to their rooms.<br>"So, you were just talking, right?" She asked.  
>"Of course. You know about Drew, right?"<br>"Yeah, which is the only reason I believed you." She said, giving me a shy smile.  
>"I don't think we were ever properly introduced. I'm Lily, Lily Evans." I said, putting out my hand.<br>"Ah, yes." She replied, her voice suddenly a lot less happy. "Are you and Jame still together?"  
>What the hell?<br>"Excuse me?"  
>"Oh, you broke up then?"<br>"We never went out."  
>"Really?" She said, looking intently at me, as if to detect my lies,<br>"Yep. Sorry, but we should get the students."  
>"Oh, right. Of course."<br>We went back into the Hall, neither one of us thinking about the students, school, or sleeping. We both had our minds on a tall, messy-haired boy with sparkling hazel eyes.  
><strong>AN: Well, there it is! sorry it's so late, I started it a while ago but couldn't finish it, for some reason! remember, reviews are as wonderful as a Disney movie marathon!  
>~Jaily<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

DREW'S POV  
>I followed the dark-haired boy through winding corridors, up moving staircases, and through tapestries. This school had more tricks than the oldest part of SWI!<br>"James!" I called, trying to catch my breath. Man, this guy was fast. He turned around, his face masked in anger.  
>"What do you want?" He spat.<br>"To explain that it wasn't what you thought it was!"  
>"Really? Then, pray tell, what were you doing in a broom closet?"<br>"Talking!"  
>"Talking? Really?"<br>"Yes! Merlin's sake!"  
>His face twisted into a passive expression, and he stared into the distance.<br>"I don't believe it."  
>"Would you believe it if I said I was gay?"<br>He met my eyes, obviously surprised.  
>"Really?"<br>"Yes." I said, nodding, "Lily and I were talking about you, actually. We accidentally saw you and Emma, and she wanted to know what was up."  
>His face broke out into a smile.<br>"You were talking about me?"  
>"You'd be surprised how much she talks about you. She went on and on about you and how horrible you were to her."<br>"Me? Horrible to Lily? No way."

Are you using the Confundus charm or are you just naturally mind blowing?' Really, James? I thought you could do better."  
>He looked at me, shocked.<br>"That was one of my best lines!"  
>"James, Lily thinks you're just looking for a conquest, and she doesn't want to become yet another notch on your bedpost. She thinks that since she's the one girl who turned you down, you have to prove something by making her fall in love with you. That's why she's resisting you."<br>"Seriously? That's what she thinks? Merlin, I messed up. Y'know, Drew, you seem like the kind of guy who knows a lot about relationships."  
>"I've read my fair share of romance novels, and most of my friends are girls."<br>"The gay guys have all the luck" He muttered, smiling.  
>"Yeah, so I've heard."<br>He laughed and I wondered how Lily could turn this guy down.  
>"Anyway, you should hang out with us-I mean the Marauders."<br>I looked at him, curious.  
>"The Marauders? Ring-leaders of Hogwarts, Princes of Pranking, Kings of Chivalry? Never heard of us? And to think I though Sirius had been telling the truth about that autobiography."<br>I laughed, smiling. Those gorgeous hazel eyes, no wonder he was such a ladies man.  
>"So," I asked, hesitantly, "I assume you guys are kind of famous?"<br>"Kind of! We're the most popular guys in school! Me, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, but we go by Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail."  
>"Why those?"<br>"Oh, no reason." He wouldn't meet my eye.  
>"But that would be awesome, hanging out with you guys," I said, trying to steer the conversation back to safety.<br>"Yeah, good! So, want me to walk you back to your rooms? I don't think you know where they are."  
>"Sure. Thanks again!"<br>"Oh, and sorry I was so hard on you earlier, I get sort of protective of Lily."  
>"Yeah, she told me how you hexed her last two boyfriends."<br>"Poor Matt and Nick..." He said, smiling.  
>"So why did you do it?"<br>"I love her." He said it with no hesitation, and it was obvious he truly believed it. "Lily isn't just another girl. She got all O's on her O.W.L.'s and is the most level-headed person I know. She always protects they younger students and never starts a fight, unless it's against me. And when shes angry, shes beautiful. Fierce and powerful, she always has a witty comeback. I love that most about her."  
>"Too bad she hates you."<br>"And the worst part? I don't know how to change it! Remus keeps telling me that its because she'll never like me, Sirius says shes an overreacting, uptight, beautiful bitch, and Peter doesn't really say anything."  
>"Well," I said, wondering why those peple were his friends if they acted that way. "I think, from what I've seen tonight, it's because of your attitude. She thinks you're an big-headed idiot who cares for nothing but his social life.-" I saw him about to interrupt and tell me off, so I quickly continued.<br>"-But, she has never seen this side of you. You need to show her you can be a compassionate person, and not just a pompous jerk. No more pick-up lines, no more date requests, and especially, no more pranks."  
>"What? No more pranks! You must be out of your damn mind!"<br>"No more pranks on her." I corrected. Wow, Lily was right, hot headed indeed.  
>"Oh, okay. I guess I can live with that."<br>We had reached the Room of Requirement, and he left me.  
>"Goodnight Drew, see you tomorrow."<br>"'Night James."  
>Well, there was no doubt in my mind that James and Lily were perfect for each other. They would be the best couple ever, and I would help them. Operation LilyLove was officially in action.<p>

LILY"S POV  
>She was standing in a room, a baby in her arms. A tall dark man was advancing on her! She feared this man, and knew why her was there.<br>"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" She cried, terror coursing through her.  
>"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside, now." His voice was high and cold, and the baby began to cry. She put him in the crib behind her, throwing her arms out as if he would be able to protect the baby.<br>She saw the jet of vibrant green light, and felt the darkness closing around her.  
>I woke in a cold sweat. My blankets were tangled around me, and the room was dark. I shook my head. The nightmare had been coming every night since school began. Every night it was the same. I would try to protect the baby in my arms, only to be killed ten seconds later. The dreams made no sense, but they terrified me all the same.<br>I groped for my wand and muttered "lumos". The lights in the room came on, and I thanked Merlin for the private Heads Quarters. Grabbing a fresh set of robes, I went to take a shower, even though my clock said it was only four-thirty.  
>After letting the warm water run over me for twenty minutes, relieving the stress of the dream, I began to dress. collecting my books, I strolled into the common room, stopping in shock as I saw James at the bottom, staring into the fire.<br>"Potter?" I said, obviously scaring him.  
>He jerked around, and I saw bags under his eyes.<br>"Lily?" He whispered, "What are you doing down here?"  
>"Nightmare." I said, walking towards him. Misery loves company, I decided.<br>"Really? Same here."  
>"Wow, what happened in yours?" I asked, surprised at he coincidence.<br>"I was in a room, super happy, when the door burst open. I called to someone upstairs to take something and run, then the door opens, revealing a dark man. He says something, and I point my wand at him, but he kills me first."  
>I told him my dream, and we sat in a heavy silence, realizing how similar the man in black was from both dreams. Could they be connected?<br>The sun steadily rose in the sky, and James and I sat together, not speaking, not doing much of anything. We just sat, and for some reason, it was more comforting than anything else.

I decided not to mention the dreams to Alice at breakfast, but I told her all about Drew and James and Emma. I looked around for Drew, only to find him sitting with the Marauders.  
>"Alice, why do you think Drew is sitting with them?" I asked, pointing to the four boys. "Last night, James seemed mad enough to hex him when we tumbled out of the broom closet."<br>"It must have something to do with his charm, or the amount of information on you he knows." She tittered, "From what you said, it sounds like you told him all about your feelings for James."  
>"Feelings? I have no feelings! All I feel is a burning anger towards him."<br>Alice chuckled as the mail came. "Of course. Oh! Look! A letter from Frank!" She grabbed the envelope from the tawny owl and tore it open.  
>I glanced around as she read the obviously mushy letter. Soon, I was nearly attacked by a great white owl who landed unsteadily in front of me.<br>Who could this be from?  
>I wondered. I never got letters from others, at least, not by owl. The only people I knew outside of Hogwarts were Mum and Petunia, and neither of them loved magic very much. Mum thought it was useful, but never truly understood it.<br>I reached for the birds foot, and saw a page of the Daily Prophet with a small note attached. Looking at the paper, I nearly dropped it in surprise.  
>He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Strikes Again: Two Muggleborns, Three Aurors, and Five Muggles Killed in the Explosion.<br>Underneath was a picture of a large building exploding, and underneath that a story about the deceased.  
>I looked at the note and gasped.<br>You'd better watch out, Mudblood.  
>I wasn't one for hate-mail. I was never the victim of attacks because of my status, but apparently that had changed. Soon, two more notes just like it arrived, bearing words such as You aren't fit to live in this world, filthy muggleborn and we would be better off without the likes of you dirtying our life. Go back where you came from.<br>I felt tears in my eyes, but brushed them away. I was Lily Evans, for Merlin's sake! I was head girl, and a few letters couldn't sway me. I took the letters, piled them with the Prophet article, and took out my wand. I muttered incendio and watched as the hateful letters burnt to a crisp.  
>"Lily," Alice asked, noticing the burning paper and the tear on my cheek, "What are those?"<br>She looked at the last word of the last paper still burning "...Mudblood..."  
>"Oh, Lily," She murmured, embracing me. With her gentle touch, I felt the tears come back. "Lily, dear, don't cry. Those letters are just crap written by stupid purists. They don't tell anything but lies."<br>I nodded my head, noticing other eyes on me. I pushed her away, wiped my eyes, gathered my things and began to leave.  
>"Lets go, Alice. We should study for Flitwick's quiz."<br>"Of course." She took her letter and followed me out.

JAMES POV  
>I saw Lily come down to breakfast, her cool demeanor back in place. I had never seen her in such emotional distress as she had been earlier. However, the small smile slipped off her face as she read one of the three or four letters that had appeared in front of her. I glanced around the room and saw a group of Slytherins snickering and stealing looks at her. As the tears began to fall, I inched my way over, able to hear Alice.<br>"...stupid purists...anything but lies..."  
>Soon, the two girls left, and I told Sirius of my findings.<br>"Pads, I think Lily's been sent hate-mail."  
>Both Sirius and Drew looked at me. Remus was studying and Peter was nowhere to be found.<br>"What?" They said in unison.  
>"Yeah, I saw her get a bunch of letters and she started crying. Alice said something about purists and those snakes over there were laughing."<br>Sirius turned his head to see a few of his least favorite people, his cousin, Bellatrix, brother, Regulus, and Snape.  
>"Those idiots..." He said, obviously extremely mad.<br>"Wait," Asked Drew, "Why would they be idiots? How do you know they're responsible?"  
>"You ever heard of Voldemort?" I asked the American. He nodded, and I explained the Death Eaters and the fact that Lily was muggle-born.<br>"Oh." He said, comprehension dawning on his face, "Poor Lily..."  
>"Those dickheads." Sirius muttered. Drew sent him a curious glance, and I was going to explain. I looked to Sirius for permission, and he nodded, his gaze still fixed on the Slytherins.<br>"Drew, Sirius comes from a family of muggle-hating, Voldemort-supporting purists."  
>Drew recoiled a bit, obviously afraid of him.<br>"However," I said, continuing quickly, "Sirius is different. He is the complete opposite, and was the first person in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black to be sorted into Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!"  
>Drew smiled and so did Sirius.<br>"That's cool."  
>It was a simple reaction, but I could tell that he was relieved that Sirius was good.<br>"C'mon, guys," I called, "Let's go find Remus, see if he can comfort Lily."  
>"Or I could do it," Drew said, "And put in a good word for you."<br>I smiled and decided that Drew was perfect Marauder material.  
><strong>AN: Hey! Wow, a lot happened in this chapter! This chapter-and the next one, are dedicated to Mrs. Teddy Lupin who had the brilliant idea! Thanks so much! :D **


	9. Chapter 9

LILY'S POV

It had been a week since the students had arrived, and life was beginning to feel normal. Well, almost normal.

James had taken to taunting me as usual, but with less fevour. Drew had been hanging out with the marauders, and I couldn't help but think that it was because of him James had changed. Drew still studied with me, and Emma spent her time ignoring me and the Marauders, and, sadly, hanging out with the slytherins.

As much as I hated Emma, I couldn't stand to see her around the Slytherins. At breakfast, I glanced away from my cereal to see her deep in conversation with Severus and Bellatrix Black. They would glance at me every once and a while, and I got the feeling Snape was sharing all my secrets.

"Thats what you get for telling your deepest secrets to a snake," Someone whispered in my ear, I looked up to see Alice looking at me intently.

"What are you talking about, Alice?" I looked at her with faux inocence.

"Oh, you know as well as I do what Snape is saying to Emma," She notched her voice down an octave, making an excellent portrayl of Severus' voice:

"Emma, did you know Lily and I used to be friends? She told me all her secrets! Like how she has a teddy bear named Mr. Pang-Panks because when she was little, she spilled syrup on him and he forever smelled of pancakes, but she couldn't pronounce it! She still sleeps with him-" here, her voice got quieter as I felt my face turn red, "-even today!"

"Alice!" I shrieked as she doubled over in laughter, "Thats horrid! Never speak of that! I told you that in drunken confidence last year!"

Alice found this hysterical and soon had tears coming out of her eyes as she remembered the "Drunken Lily" Incident. Last year, during a game of Truth or Dare with the other sixth years, The Marauders spiked my butterbeer with something a tad bit stronger, and the entire night became a blur.

Gryffindor Truth or Dare was different from the normal verison. First of all, a spell is cast upon the enitre room so no one can repeat anything to others without having huge boils erupt in places better not mentioned. Second, you can't back down. Last year, Sirius learned how to cast a Verum Charm which forced the person to tell the truth, or else to recieve huge migranes. We played occasionally, and our next game was scheduled for tomorrow night.

Unlike the rest of the tower, I didn't relish in the chance to be publically humiliated or forced to tell my darkest secrets, but I participated because Alice enjoyed it, and I lost a bet to her in third year.

Turning my attention away from Emma and Snape, I looked over to the Marauders and Drew who were joking around as usual.

"Lily," Alice cautioned, "You're doing it again,"

"Doing what?"

"Staring at them." She pointed a slim finger over to the boys. I shook my head, not only to show her I wasn't staring, but to rid myself of these odd feelings. Why was I so intrigued by the Marauders acceptance to Drew?

"Alice, for the umpteenth time I wasn't staring!" Of course, I had to yell that, and James had to hear.

"Staring at what, Evans? My excellent physique?" He asked, striking a ridiculus pose.

"Only to wonder how your parents could look at you without vomiting." I spat back, turing away.

He laughed appreciativly, and I knew he took all of my insults in stride. Nothing I could say would hurt him, and he always rebounded. This was one of his good features, because I knew that if I couldn't live with the guilt of hurting him, and apologizing would be a nightmare of its own.

Sooner than expected, the bell rang, and everyone scrambled to get to class. Alice and I had the same schedule as Drew, Emma and the rest of the Salem students. First, was double Potions with the Slytherins.

"Of all the classes to have on a monday morning," Alice muttered as we strolled into the dank room, filled with the fumes of potions.

"Good morning, class!" Professor Slughorn boomed. "Pair up, and turn to page 274 in your books. Today I shall be giving you a poison, and I expect you to find out what the main ingrediants are and procure an antidote. Then, the poison and antidote shall be tested on another group."

We all gasped. Would he give us potions he couldn't cure? What if someone died?

"Now, now," He chastised, seeing our fear, "Don't you worry, I have all the antidotes here, incase nothing goes right. Now, to work!"

I grabbed Alice's arm, only to find that she was holding on to Elly Samuels, another Gryffindor seventh year.

"Alice!" I yelled!

"Sorry!" She smiled and continued to talk with Elly.

I went to the nearest table, and sat down next to whoever was there. Luckily, It was Drew.

"Drew!" I shrieked, glad to be sitting next to someone decent.

"Hey Lily," He smiled, "I hope you're good at potions, I never have mastered it."

"Don't worry, I'm ace." I said, smirking at him.

We began to work and I saw that Drew was lying. He was one of the best poton-makers besides Snape and I. We talked about trivial things, until He brought up the dreaded subject, James Potter.

"Lily," He started out tentetivly, "James apologizes for anything he did this year, and he would like you to reconsider his offer of friendship."

"Ugh, Drew, don't get me started on Potter."

"Lily, listen to me. This guy really likes you, can you give him a chance?"

"Drew, you're a really nice person, but you've only known him for two weeks. I've known him my whole life."

"Do you really know him, Lily? Or have you delusioned youreslf into seeing a prat, when a real man lies behind the face?"

I chose not to answer, and we continued to brew our antidote in silence.

Save for a few Slytherins, all of the antidotes worked. I walked over to Alice, pulled her away from Elly, and told her about my conversation with Drew.

"What do you think this means?" I asked, as Slughorn described the homework.

"Well, Lily," She said nervously, "Have you ever thought that Drew might be right?"

"What do you mean?" I said, feeling a bit annoyed that my best friend wasn't taking my side.

"Well, you always accuse James quite quickly, and you always call him an arrogent toerag, but he has some nice points."

"Like what?" I asked stonily.

"Well, hes friends with Drew, isn't he? And he didn't get back together with the Bitch of the Century, right?"

We both glanced over at Emma, who was hanging onto a Slytherin named Lucius Malfoy.

"True," I said, not wanting to admit she was right.

"And, he's always there for his friends. He helps Remus during his time, helps Peter pass his classes, and makes sure Sirius stays out of serious trouble. He has his bad points, I'll admit, but if you look past them, you can find a real man, just like Drew said."

I nodded at her. It made sense, but that didn't mean I had to like it.

"Fine, whatever." I said, my mood worsening as Slughorn assigned us two rolls of parchemnt on antidotes.

As usual, I was one of the last ones out, due to Alice's unorginization.

"C'mon, We're going to be late!" I whispered, and we strolled out. I glanced ahead and saw Drew walking alone. His head was in a book, and James and Sirius were up ahead. I motioned for Alice to follow me and we quickened our pace, only to be cut off by four Slytherins.

Bellatrix Black, her black hair in wild curls, and Severus, his face void of any emotion, surrounded Drew with two others who I assumed to be Avery and Mulciber, Bellatrix's Lackeys.

All four surrounded him, drawing their wands. I saw Drew draw his, but it was too late.

_"Expelliarmus!"_ Bellatrix shouted gleefully; Drews wand shot out of his hand and clattered to the floor.

"Well, well, well." She sneered, "If it isn't the queer new kid."

At these words, I saw Sirius and James turn around. They motioned to Remus and Peter, who were walking ahead of them, and the four started hustling back.

"May I help you, Bellatrix?" Drew asked, always polite.

"yes, you can, dear. You can help me by getting your ass out of this school. We already have too much flith here."

I couldn't take it. I jumped forward, "Take that back, bitch!" I shouted and pulled out my wand, shielding Drew.

"Y'know, the only thing I hate more than faggots are mudbloods." She said, chuckling.

That did it. I was about to curse her into oblivion, when a jet of purple light flew over my head, hitting Mulciber squarely in the chest. I saw his arms shrink untill the were just stubs.

A pair of strong arms grabbed me and pulled me back. Wanting to save Drew, I stuggled against them.

"Lily, Lily!" I heard a gruff voice that I instantl recognized.

"James! Let me go!"

"No. Stay here. Sirius, Remus, Peter and I have got it. And look," He pointed to Drew, who had gotten his wand back and was now dueling Mulciber, whos arms had returned thanks to Avery, with Remus. Peter was standing off to the side next to Alice, still trying to process it all. Snape was sneaking away, but James shouted after him:

"Oh no you don't, Snivellus! _Expelliarmus!"_

Snape whipped around with a shield charm, and began to duel James.

In the middle of the fights, there was an epic battle.

Sirius and Bellatrix were shooting hexes and curses at each other, verabl and nonverbal, with hatred etched on their faces. You could tell that both were fighting for the kill. I saw a side of Sirius that I had never seen before. He was normally care-free and happy, never bothered with the outside world. I knew he ran away from a pure-blood home, but he had never shown so much emotion.

As they circled each other, I saw the pure concentration on Sirius' face. He loathed this girl and her beliefs with each ounce of his body. To make matters worse, she continually taunted him, and you could tell it got to him.

"How does it feel, Siri-poo, to disgrace your family name by hanging out with queers and mudbloods? Oh, wait. Siri-poo wants to_ become_ a mudblood, don't you? You just _love_ muggles, right?"

I saw Sirius' face, and knew he would kill this girl. Thankfully, thats the moment Dumbledore decided to show up.

"STOP IMMEDIATLY!" He cried, his voice booming through the corridor. He swept his robes through the students who had stopped to watch the fights, and gazed at us, anger in his eyes.

He looked around. James had a bloody noes, Snape had a cut lip, Remus had gotten out with nothing but a few scratches, Avery's front teeth seemed to be growing at an unstoppable rate, and Mulciber was nursing a gash in his arm. Bellatrix and Sirius both had no physical wounds, save for a minor scratch here and there, but the emotional pain on both of their faces, anger and fury, was proof enough that something major had happened. Drew had a black eye, but Peter, Alice, and I were fine.

"You eleven, come with me. The rest of you, I presume you have class?" His voice was stony cold and his face impassive. I had never heard Dumbledore this upset.

We followed the Headmaster to a large statue at the end of the hall.

"Chocolate Frogs," He said clearly. The statue began to move, revealing the spiral staircase that lead to the Headmaster's office.

We climbed up the stairs and he motioned for my fellow Gryffindors and I, along with Drew, to come in. The SLytherins stayed outside, and the massive door closed behind me.

"Well," Said Dumbledore, conjuring seven chairs for us. "Would any of you like to tell me what happened?

James began to talk, and I was waiting for him to put all the blame on me.

"Sir, Sirius and I were walking with Remus and Peter, and Drew and Lily were behind us with Alice. Those Slytherins called Drew a nasty name and Lily stepped in to make sure it didn't get out of hand. They called her a 'mudblood' and I cursed Mulciber. If anyone is to blame, it's me for throwing the first curse."

Dumbledore nodded and Sirius interrupted, "Sir, I should take some blame as well. I fought with Bellatrix and encouraged Drew and Remus to fight."

Dumbledore put up his hand to stop him.

"Now," He said calmly, as If we were talking about quidditch, "I can see you all had some part in this, save for Miss Prewett and Mr. Pwttigrew, you two may leave."

Alice and Peter got up, Alice shooting me a sympatheitic look. Once they had let, Dumbledore turned to us.

"You five all have some fault in this mess. I don't want to get letters from paents about their children being beaten up, so I am issuing you all a detention. tomorrow night, seven o'clock. I am ashamed of you. Although I know the attack was provoked- and I shall be speaking to Miss Balck and the others about it- violence was not the course of action to take. Please consider this tommorow."

He motioned for us to leave, and we did. I couldn't believe it! My first detention ever.

Once we had reaced the main hall, Drew stopped us.

"Guys, look. I'm really sorry about what happened. It wa smy fault and you shouldn't have been blamed."

Sirius, James Remus all began to protest loudly, but I hushed them.

"Drew, listen." I put my hand on his shoulder. "Those Slytherins don't mean anything. They're just dickheads who like to cause misery. You have to remember that you're better than that. We're sorry about what they called you, and you should know that they won't get away with that." Here, I glanced pointedly and the three marauders who were obviously up to some prank.

I continued, "So don't worry, we can fix this. And we still love you." I gave him a hug, and James, Remus and Sirius were smiling behind us.

"Now that the sappiest moment ever is over," Sirius broke in, "Lets go eat!"

"What?" I asked, "We have herbology! Lunch isn't for two hours!"

"C'mon, Lils," James said, grabbing my arm, "Live a little. Lets make a quick stop at the kitchens and then head out to the lake."

The other boys nodded, and I knew better than to argue. I followed them to a picture of a fruit bowl. James and Sirius motioned for us to keep watch, and the returned soon with arms full of food. We carried it out to the lake and sat down under a tree, Remus conjuring up some blankets. In the brisk air, lauging with my least favorite person, I found myself having the best time since my friendship with Snape had ended. I let go of my problems and just enjoyed to company and jokes of the four boys around me.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! If you review, Christmas will come sooner! (well...it won't...but wouldn't that be awesome?)**


	10. Chapter 10

After my Marauder interlude, I found the day passing quite quickly. I realized that, although they were pig-headed at times, they could be very funny. We walked to Defense together, and I laughed at Alice's surprised look as we strolled in to the classroom. I sat down next to her, and she pulled me closer.

"Lily! Where were you? Why weren't you in Herbology?" She hissed as the professor began his lesson.

"Calm down, Alice. We were going to be late anyway after Professor Dumbledore lectured us, so we decided to go for a walk."

Alice smiled, like it was the best news she had heard in a long time.

"So did you have fun?"

"Yeah," I said hesitantly. Alice obviously had an ulterior motive.

"And were they pleasant?"

"As always."

"So you do fancy James!"

I nearly dropped my books in shock.

"Alice! Really?" I nearly shouted.

"Yes," She said, a smug smile on her face, "you fancy James!"

Sadly, Professor Dinali used that moment to take a break in his lecture, and the entire class heard her accusation, including James, and even worse, Sirius.

"Evans, do you fancy Prongs?" He cried, a look of sheer delight on his face.

"Of course not, you daft git!" I shouted, my face turning a brilliant shade of scarlet.

"Evans and Prongs, Evans and Prongs, Lily and James Potter!" He began to sing, much to my dismay, and soon Remus and Alice joined in. I took a small victory in seeing James as red as me, but my smile disappeared as I noticed Drew behind James giving me a pointed look. I glared back at him and sat down, fuming at the fact that my best friend had joined in the taunting.

"Class, class," Called Dinali, trying to settle everyone down, "let's get back to work now."  
>Soon enough, everyone quieted down, and I was finally given peace to learn, but Alice's words never left my head. I didn't fancy James, that much was clear, but we weren't fighting as much. Maybe it was Drew's interference, but I found it was nice, not having to be on my toes with a witty comeback every second.<p>

* * *

><p>Dinner came soon enough, and Alice forced me to rush through, then pulling my arm out of the Hall.<p>

Alice!" I muttered, "What's that for?"

"We have Truth or Dare tonight! I can't have you looking like a slob!" She replied, as if this was completely normal.

I huffed and let her continue to manhandle me, knowing there was no way out.

After seven outfits, three makeup changes, and what seemed like hours of hair yanking, Alice declared that I was ready. I looked in the mirror to see what seemed too simple for so much pain.

I was wearing a muggle outfit, with black skinny jeans and a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt that clung perfectly to my body. I had a simple silver belt and a pearl necklace on. Pearl earrings matched it, and silver eyeliner touched my green eyes. My hair had been pulled back into a bun with a few loose strands framing my face.

"Ready!" Alice squealed. You would think that I was her personal Barbie doll. She gave me a quick hug, and we walked downstairs to face our doom.

As we rounded the staircase, I felt as if I had walked through a wall of water, and I knew that was the enchantments placed upon the room. All of the chairs and couches had been pushed against the wall, and in the middle of a group of people lay a large supply of butterbeer and assorted sweets.

"You came!" James shouted, leaping up and smiling at us.

"Of course we did, Potter. You put a hex on everyone so that if they didn't show, their hair would glow in the dark." I muttered, taking a seat beside Alice. I looked around the circle, considering what would be dished out.

There were only ten of us, five girls and guys, considering it was only Gryffindor seventh years. At the center of attention lay the Marauders, excited for the night. Next to them sat Drew and the three other girls in the dorm, Erica Meren, Mary MacDonald, and Elly Samuels. Alice and I sat down next to Elly, and it began.

"Okay, everyone," Sirius said, pulling out a crumpled sheet of parchment, "Let's go through the rules and then we'll begin."

He looked at the sheet and put on a sombre face.

"Rule number one," He said in a pompous voice, "Is that there are no rules!"

The parchment was thrown in the air and burnt to a crisp, drifting down to make a small campfire in the middle. We all grabbed a butterbeer, and Sirius started.

"Okay, hmm...Mary!" He pointed at the blonde and she glanced up, "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare." She smiled, and I marvelled at her bravery. Mary and Alice were the only girls who would do a Marauder Dare.

Sirius grinned, "write a love note to Flitwick and sign your name."

He pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and handed them to Mary. She read aloud as she wrote.

"Flilus, my dear," She began, "It has been so long, and I cannot keep this secret any longer. I must confess my love to you! I have loved you, my darling, since I first stepped into you classroom in first year! Say you'll love me back, lest I live the rest of my life in misery! Forever Yours, Mary MacDonald."

She signed it with a flourish, and handed it to Sirius for inspection.

"Nicely done, Mary." He smiled and went to send it by owl. Mary turned and faced everyone.

"Who shall be next?" She asked ominously, "Drew!"

His hair flipped up as he turned to her.

"Truth," He said softly, "I'm not stupid enough to do one of your dares!"

"Buzz kill," She replied, laughing, "well, then. Do you, or have you ever, had a boyfriend?"

Drew blushed and took a drink of his butterbeer before answering.

"Yeah," he said, and we all gasped, "his name is Everett and he's the sweetest guy ever. We've been dating for a year now, and you Marauders remind me of him."  
>Everyone laughed appreciatively.<p>

"Okay, James, truth or da-" Drew began, but was interrupted by James' cry of "Dare!"

Drew chuckled and began to speak. "Dress like this," He pulled out his wand, and soon James was wearing a pink ball gown, "for the rest of the week!"

Gasps rose up as James glared at Drew.

"And don't worry, you won't be stuck wearing the same outfit twice, it'll change every day," He smirked.

"I can now see we have underestimated you, Drew!" laughed James as he fingered the pink silk, "but Quidditch!"

"Fine, it will disappear before the match."

We laughed and James accepted.

"Alice!" James cried, obviously he, and everyone else, was starting to feel the subtle effects of the butterbeer.

"Daaaaare!" She sang.

"Make out with...Remus!"

Remus gasped and turned red.

"Oh, but James, I'm engaged!" She tittered, flashing the ring.

"Only once, Alice! No chickens!"

"Okay." She smiled and reached over to Remus. "Sorry about this, Remus." She whispered as she put her arms around his neck. Their lips met for a few seconds, and then they pulled apart with red in their cheeks, although Alice's might have been from the large amounts of butterbeer that had been consumed.

"Fantastic. Now, Lily," She said, smiling around the room. "Are you going to be wimp and take truth?"

"Yes." I said decisively.

"C'mon, Lily, it's our last year, be brave for once!"

"I'm very brave!"  
>"No you're not, sometimes I wonder why you're in Gryffindor at all!" she said, and Sirius chimed in, chanting "Dare, dare, dare!"<p>

I shook my head. I was not going to be sucked into this!

"Maybe the sorting hat should have put you in _Hufflepuff!"_ Alice shrieked, making the others chuckle and chant with Sirius.

Me? A Hufflepuff? No way in hell would I be mistaken for a Hufflepuff!

"Fine! I'll show you, DARE!" I shouted, smiling in triumph.

"Okay! So, Lily..." She moved closer to me, "here's your dare! You have to kiss..."

Please don't say who I think you're going to say!

I slilently wished, crossing my fingers, realizing my mistake. Why on earth did I choose dare?

"...James Potter!"

No, no...this could not be happening...James Potter?

I silently cursed Alice to the depths of hell. Sirius wolf-whistled and Erica and Elly clapped.  
>Sirius must have put something into James' drink to make him insane, because he said:<p>

"Alice, in dares concerning two people, the other must agree, right?"

"Of course. Unless they haven't been dared yet, and then it can count as theirs."

"Yeah, and I don't want this. Sorry, Lily, but I'm not going to kiss you now."

He smiled at me, stood up, and left with nine surprised faces in his wake.

"Okay everyone," Sirius called hesitantly, after an unsteady beat of silence, "Game's over for tonight, we'll play again next month!"

Everyone scrambled up to their rooms, Alice and I in front.

"Lily!" She hissed, grabbing my arm, "What the hell was that-"

"Alice, I don't want to talk about it." I replied fiercely. True to my word, I went to bed with thousands of thoughts on my mind.

What had happened? Was I really that repulsed? And since when has James Bloody Potter cared about my feelings? The James Potter I knew wouldn't hesitate at a chance to kiss Lily Evans. But, then again, he had changed a lot. The train, Drew, the animagus', all changed the way he acted. He seemed to care more, and was- dare I say- nice?  
><em>No. He's not nice. He's a stupid idiot who's playing you,<em> I told myself. _Stop thinking; just sleep._  
>Taking that advice, I fell into a deep slumber, forgetting all about James and the fact that he had taken an actual step towards chivalry tonight, in refusing my kiss.<br>~~~~~

The next day, everything seemed normal. Well, almost normal. James waltzed into the breakfast hall, striking a pose in the ball gown. People began to laugh and applaud.

Over night, the gown had changed from the cotton-candy pink, fluffy gown to a gown as green as my eyes. The dress had long sleeves that drooped down from the wrists, and a flowing skirt that was lined with gold. It would have been a stunning dress, had it not been worn by James.

"James Potter, everyone!" Sirius called.

They sat down, and everyone cheered at the most popular boy in school dressed in a gown.

The day went by smoothly, and James nor I mentioned last night. For this, I was relieved, but it left me more confused than ever. Any other time, James would have kissed me. He's tried multiple times, and it never fails to make my blood boil.

Why not then?

James Potter was a player. He and Sirius had dated the entire female population. He toyed with emotions and left broken hearts in his wake.  
><em>That's why you're scared, Lily, you don't want to be just another conquest.<em>  
>Turning my attention away from the boy who kept sneaking into my head, I began to help Alice choose her bridesmaids gowns.<p>

* * *

><p>DREWS POV<p>

After Lily and James ran up their respetive staircases, Everyone disbanded. the three other girls got together near the fire, and Sirius ran to check on James. I followed him up, levaing Remus and Peter playing Exploding Snap.

I stopped at the top of the rickety staircase and listened through the door.

"James!" I heard Sirius ask in a hushed shout, "What was that? You had Evans in your grasp!"

"Sirius," I heard James sigh. He had never sounded more tired, "I want my first kiss with Lily to be one she willingly gives me. I don't want it to be some floozy kiss during a game of truth or dare."

Sirius gave an exasperated sigh and opened the door. He looked a bit shocked at the fact that I was clearly listening in, but just gave me a tired smile.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into him," he said, before giving me a pat on the back and waltzing downstairs.

"James?" I asked, quietly.

"Oh, hi Drew." He replied in that same defeated tone.

"Okay, what's really up?"

"Lily didn't kiss me. Isn't that reason enough?"

"No. James, I'm gay. I know how girls work, and I've spent my fair share of time with them." I said firmly, "Something else is up. You're not just depressed 'cause of the kiss, right?"

He looked at me as if he was about to yell, but just nodded instead.

"Yeah." He replied quietly.

"Well, what is it?" I urged.

"When I first met Lily, she was really annoing. Then, as the year went by, I started to like her. Her feisty attitiude towards me, and her kind demeanor towards others. I've never stopped liking her ever since third year, but tonight, when I realized that as amazing as she is, I didn't want to kiss her, I think I realized that I'm actually in love with her."

"I figured as much." I said simply.

"You-you did?" He asked, surprised.

"James, when Lily and I fell out of that broom closet, I knew you came very close to literally tearing my head off. I've never seen anyone more angry. You've been in love, but tonight you just realized it for the first time."

He looked at me and cracked a grin, which was a relief on his dejected face.

"Wow, that was extreamly sappy." He said laughing.

"Well," I replied, smiling at the fact that he was normal, "I _am _gay."

We laughed and made our way back downstairs to challenge the Marauders to some Wizards Chess.

**A/N: Wow 10 Chapters! I hope everyone likes it! And thanks for reading! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Wow! Another chapter super fast! Enjoy, and for all you Americans, happy thanksgiving!**

Quidditch made Hogwarts crazy.

I sat at breakfast, glancing at the drama that was unfolding before my eyes.

"James, you have to eat something," Sirius chided his best friend. I saw James staring at his plate that was filled with food. His hands were on his lap and his eyes were vacant.

"Sirius, we're going to lose."

"Now is that any way a captain is supposed to talk about his team?"

They continued to bicker, and I looked at everyone else. Ravenclaw, who we were playing against today, kept shooting glares that were sharp as knives at our table. The Gryffindors weren't much better. Insults were being thrown back and forth. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws were normally on good terms, but on days like these, rivalry was inevitable.

Suddenly, James stood up.

"Team," He shouted over the din, "Let's kick some ass!"

With a wave of his hand, a cheering group of people followed him out of the hall to mass cheering from our table.

A few minutes later, the Ravenclaws followed with similar cries. After they filed out, Alice, Drew and I began to go.

"Aren't you excited, Lily?" Alice asked, a big smile on her face.

"Of course." I said. I didn't get pumped over Quiddtich like some people, but it was hard to avoid that excitement.

As the brisk December wind hit my face, I pulled my scarf up. Settling down next to Alice, we began to clap as the announcer, Mary MacDonald, began to speak.

"Welcome, everyone, to the last Quidditch match before Winter Holidays! Today's match, as you probably know, is Ravenclaw and Gryffindor!"

The cheers got louder as each side tried to out-yell each other.

"Let's welcome the teams! First, the Ravenclaws! Walker, Criss, Holden, DeVille, Richter, Wright, and LOPEZ!"

Half of the fans stood up in a wave of blue. Slytherin was supporting Ravenclaw as they would never cheer for the Lions. Seven blue players zoomed onto the feild, flying around the hoops and doing spirals into the air. As they formed a semi-circle in the centre, Mary spoke again.

"And now, your Gryffindors! Meren, Black, McKinnon, Douglas, Potter, Graves, and SWANSON!"

I stood up with everyone else, cheering as our scarlett players flew in formation onto the feild. Right above the Ravenclaws, they broke, all flying in different directions. James flew towards the stands and waved at everyone. I clapped along with everyone else, but could have sworn he winked at me.

Once everyone was in position, James shook hands with the captain, Shawna DeVille. Madame Hooch, the new flying coach, released the bludgers and the snitch, and threw the quaffle into the air. The game began.

"And the quaffle is taken by Gryffindor chaser Katie Douglas! Nice pass to Izzy Graves-but wait! Intercepted by Andy Wright of Ravenclaw! Wright takes it down the feild, shoots-Spectacular save by Gryffindor keeper Erica Meren! Meren throws to Potter who brings it back, oh! Almost hit by a nice bludger from DeVille, but he moves quickly! Pass to Graves, and she shoots-and SCORES! Ten-Zero Gryffindor!"

We clapped as Izzy, a fifth year, did a victory lap. The game continued, and I tried to explain to Drew as best as I could. He understood some, but was happy enough just enjoying the atmosphere.

I watched James, and could see how the game affected him. Once he was playing, he became a different person. He focused on his team, and didn't let anything get in his way. Katie, Izzy, and James worked as one, effortlessly flying between other players and deftly tossing the quaffle between them. The Ravenclaw chasers had the same idea, but weren't as together as the Gryffindors.

Sirius and the other beater, Marlene McKinnon, were having lots of fun, hitting the bludgers as hard as they could. You could see them laughing and teasing the other team. While most players looked very into the game, Sirius and Marlene were just having a good time.

Suddenly, Teddy Swanson, a thrid year, who was flying above everyone, dove down. As the youngest and most important player, we all turned to watch him. The other seeker, Peri Lopez saw him and followed. Although Peri had a faster broom, Teddy was lighter, and flew faster. He abruptly flew upward, but with noting in his hand. We all gasped. Teddy had just pulled a Wronski Feint!

Everyone looked back at Peri, who hadn't crashed, but flew out of control.

Gameplay continued, and soon Gryffindor was up one hundred forty-seventy. James was making goal after goal, but Erica was getting tired.

Teddy was still searching fro the snitch above the crowds, and he saw it. I saw him shoot over to the Ravenclaw end, followed swiftly by Peri. He made a sharp left, an pulled up, holding a glittering ball in his hand.

"Swanson caught the snitch!" Cried Mary, "The final score is two hundred ninety-seventy! Gryffindor wins!"

All the players flew into a group hug, slowly heading for the ground. I ran out on to the field with everyone else. I saw James, his face lit up, and I did something insane.

"Congrats, Potter." I smiled and gave him a quick hug. Then, realizing what I had done, I ran away.

"Lily!" Alice and Drew cried, "What was that?"

"What?" I asked, my face red.

"That hug?" Drew elaborated, "The one given to James Potter? ring a bell?"

"Nothing, just congratulating him." I said, in what I hoped was a nonchalant tone of voice.

"So that's what they're calling it these days," Alice said with a smirk.

"Shut it." I growled.

"Alice and Drew laughed, and we followed the crowd back to the common room, getting ready for a Marauder Party.

"Technically," I explained to Drew, "It's a 'Quidditch Win Party', but we all know that's just an excuse for the Marauders to get people drunk."

He smiled, "I take it you don't like them?"

"They're fun at first, but then they get kind of crazy." I said, thinking about the last party. Alice- sweet, simple Alice- had ended up drunk and unconscious on the floor. Everyone was late for classes the next day because someone had the brilliant idea to throw it on a school night.

As we rounded the corner, Alice grabbed my arm.

"Drew, we're going to have to leave you and go get ready. We have less than two hours!"

"Oh, I know exactly what you mean. Bye!" He waved and ran towards the Salem students' dorms.  
>~~~~<p>

As we walked downstairs, the party was in full swing. All of the couches had been pushed away into cosy little circles where couples could "catch up" with each other. The centre of the room had been lit up under hundreds of tiny lights that sparkled like diamonds over the students dancing. In the corner lay a bar table overflowing with Honeydukes sweets and punch which had been spiked.

Alice went over to say hi to Elly and Erica and I walked over to Remus, who was manning the bar.

"Hey Remus," I called, grabbing a glass of punch. I wasn't planning to get drunk, but a little drink never hurt anyone.

"Lily! How are you?"

"Good. Nice party!"

"I know! Oh, and a warning about the punch, Sirius got a little excited with the Firewhisky, so it might be a bit stronger than normal."

I laughed and took a sip. It was, indeed, very strong, and I felt the firewhisky burn my throat.

"So, Remus. Why are you stuck behind the bar?"

"It's easier to stay sober back here." He said, nodding over to James and Sirius who were obviously drunk.

"True, true."

I took a seat and we watched James and Sirius make fools of themselves. Suddenly, someone approached them.

It was Emma. She looked stunning, as always, but wore a lot less clothing. She walked over to James, putting her arm on his shoulder. His drunk face turned to hers and he gave her a lop-sided smile. She whispered something in his ear, and took his hand. They then left the common room, James trailing behind her.

"Remus, look!" I shouted over the blaring music. I pointed to Emma who walked out of the portrait hole.

Remus didn't seem fazed, "Prongs is going to regret that when he's sober." He said somberly.

I couldn't do anything but stare in shock. What was that? Had James really gone back to Emma? And why was Remus so calm?

Then, I realized I was thinking crazy thoughts. James wouldn't do that, she wasn't good enough for him. She was a Class A bitch, and he knew that.

Right?

Remus turned to help a young girl, and I turned my thoughts back to James, but then asked myself, _why do you care?_

Because, I told myself, I don't want James to get hurt?

But don't you hate him?

Yes. Indefinitely.

Are you sure?

Ye- no? I don't know! Stop making me confused!

You're the one arguing with yourself.

Shut it.

I shook my head, ridding it of the obnoxious voice, and saw Drew standing uncomfortably next to some fifth year guys.

"Drew!" I shouted, running over, "I need help!"

"Yes, Lily?" He said calmly, relieved to be taken away.

"James just ran off with Emma!"

"That's nice."

"What? Don't you care?"

"Of course. The question is, do you?"

I stopped. Did I care? Did I care for James?

No. That was crazy.

Was it?

"Arg!" I shouted in aggravation.

"Lily, are you okay?" Drew asked, **acknowledging** my outburst.

"Yeah-no. Drew, what's gotten into me? I don't want James to be with Emma! Why am I so attentive to them?"

"Maybe you like him."

"Do I?" I asked, meekly.

"Find out yourself, Lily." He smirked at walked away.

Damn him.

Drew ran over to Remus and began to talk to him. I walked closer to them, trying to listen in.

"Remus!" Drew shouted, pulling him away from the bar, "Where's James?"

"With Emma somewhere." He said, nonchalantly, "And he's going to be pissed."

"Then we should help him!" Drew replied, upset about something.

"Why? James can face the consequences." He smiled, as if thinking of another time like this. "James is strong, and won't let something like this deter him."

"But Lily likes him!"

I narrowed my eyes at Drew. I did not like James! I just found him nice...and cute...and caring...

Oh my god I liked James Potter.

I grabbed onto the post near me, ready to find Alice, but I heard the boys continue to talk.

"Really?" Asked Remus in disbelief.

"Yeah! She was really upset that James had gone off with Emma."

"Finally! James' rants about here were getting tiring."

James ranted about me? I smiled.

"Why would James go off with Emma?" Drew asked.

"He was drunk, and she grabbed him and took him. He didn't resist, considering he was drunker than Sirius."

I looked over at Sirius who was currently waltzing with a very disgruntled Peter.

Realizing I still had to talk to Alice, I ran towards her.

"Alice!" I yelled, pulling her away from her friends, "I like James Potter!"

She giggled, "Finally! Took you long enough."

"Why does everyone say that?" I asked, putting my head in my hands.

"Because it's true," she smirked, "when are you going to ask him out?"

"That's the thing, Alice. I don't want to go out with him."

Alice's jaw dropped.

"Why? You like him, he likes you!"

"But when he gets Lily Evans, the girl he's been after forever, what next? Am I just a conquest?"

"Lily, dear, you'll never be "just a conquest". You're Lily Evans! And if he can't see that, we can get him back."

"I don't know, Alice. My feelings are probably just here because he left with Emma. They'll be gone in the morning. I just thought you should know I don't hate him anymore." I smiled and walked upstairs deciding that I'd had enough party.

Thank Merlin winter holidays were soon, I didn't know how much more of this I could take.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey everyone! I just got an early christmas present, and it's tickets to see Darren Criss on BROADWAY! Yeah, I'm a bit obsessed :)**

**Also, this chapter is deticated to Amy, or Lumos. She was an admin on a Harry Potter fanpage "Harry Potter made my life magical" and she passed away this week at only 17. I hope you will all raise your wands for her, as she is now hanging out with Remus, Sirius, Lily, James, and everyone else. R.I.P Amy**

The next day, I woke up with an insane headache. Luckily, the Marauders had arranged some Hangover Potion for everyone. After my head was cleared, I grabbed my already packed trunk and began to lug it downstairs. Suddenly, I had an idea.

"Sirius!" I called, standing at the top of the stairs,

"What?" He cried, looking up at me. Even at seven in the morning, Sirius Black had the ability to look perfect.

"Can you try to walk up the stairs, please?"

"Why? I can't get up. Shame, too." He smirked.

"Please? Just try?"

"You're insane, but okay."

He put one foot on the staircase and it turned into a slide. I pushed my trunk down and it slid swiftly to the bottom.

"Thanks, Sirius!" I shouted and followed the trunk.  
>~~~~<p>

Alice and I spent the train ride playing Exploding Snap with Sirius and James. Peter and Remus played Wizards Chess, but joined us after a large explosion caused the game to be postponed.  
>Once off the train, I collected my trunk and went to Alice.<p>

"'Bye Alice. I'll miss you! Have fun in Paris!"

"Sorry you have to be stuck with Tuney the Terrible." She replied, giving me a hug.

We broke apart and she walked away, where I saw her kiss a tall, brown-haired man. I waved to them. Frank and Alice waved back before running through the wall.

I felt a pair of arms thread their way around me, and quickly turned.

"Get away, Potter!"

He let go, and smiled. "Fine. Bye, Lily-bear."

He walked away and I wondered what was going on, and why my heart had fluttered at his touch.

Turning away, I found Mum and Tuney standing near the platform sign.

"Lily!" Mum cried, pulling me in for a hug. "It's been so long!"

"Good to see you too, Mum." I turned to Tuney, "An you as well, Tuney."

"It's Petunia to you. We'd better get going, Vernon's coming at three."

I was surprised by her cold attitude.

"What's wrong?"

"Tuney doesn't want to tell Vernon about you." Mum whispered, looking at me sadly.

"Oh."

I nodded and we went to the car. After an hour of driving, we arrived at the clapboard house. Mum took my trunk inside and I ran up to my room. It always brought back memories, both good and bad. I would think of Dad and his musky smell. I unpacked my bags and fell on my bed, ready for a week of relaxing.

"Lily," came Tuney-I mean, Petunia's shriek, "Vernon should be here soon! Make yourself less freakish!"

"I can't make myself less freakish, Tuney!"

"Well, try! And I'm not Tuney to you anymore!"

I walked downstairs in a huff, ready to face Vernon the Whale.

After Petunia set the tea-table and had Mum and I sitting in our respectable seats, the doorbell rang. Petunia rushed up to get it, plastering on a smile.

"Vernon! How nice to see you!"

"And you as well, Petunia," came a gruff voice.

They walked in, hand-in-hand, and sat down on the couch.

"Vernon, you remember my sister, Lily, right?" She said, petting his arm.

"Of course. You go to that boarding school in Scotland, right?"

"Yes." I replied, wondering what kind of story Petunia had come up with.

"Interesting. Mother couldn't stand having you around the house, eh?"

Mum gasped and Petunia glanced sharply at Vernon.

"Excuse me?" I said, standing up, "did you just call me annoying?"

"I believe I did. You seem a bit out of hand. Do they let you run wild at that school of yours?"

"Vernon, please. Lily's lovely to have around." Said Petunia. I felt that I was the only one who heard the sarcasm in her voice.

We sat in silence for a bit, each sipping our tea quietly.

"Petunia, have you and Vernon given any thought to your future?" Mum asked, trying to get rid of the tension.

"Actually, Mrs. Evans, I asked Petunia to marry me last week. She said yes." He kissed her cheek and I had to hold in my vomit. If only Alice was here to deal with this with me.

"Oh, how darling," mum said, tears in her eyes, "My little girl's growing up. I'm so happy for you! How did it happen?"

Petunia started into a long tale about the most romantic proposal she had ever heard of. I excused myself to use the loo, and ran up to my room to collect my thoughts. How could Petunia marry him? She was truly insane.

"Lily!" I heard Mum call, "Come back down!"

"On my way!" I shouted, ready to walk back into hell.

Tea continued well, or as well as it could go. Vernon and Petunia talked about their plans for the future, with Vernon making a joke about my insanity every once in a while. I stayed as calm as I could, glancing at the clock at every moment. Even Divination had been better than this!

Our nice time, however, was interrupted by a large black owl swooping through the chimney. Petunia shrieked, Mum gasped, and Vernon looked up in fear.

"Lily!" Petunia cried.

"WHAT'S THAT RUDDY BIRD DOING IN HERE!" Vernon shouted, grabbing the newspaper and attempting to attack it.

I reached up and grabbed the bird, noticing the letter attached to its leg.

"PUT THAT ANIMAL DOWN! IT MIGHT HAVE RABIES!" Vernon continued, looking at me as if I was truly mad.

"Sorry!" I shouted and ran up to my room. It wasn't an owl I recognized, but the letter had my name on it just the same.

"PETUNIA!" I heard Vernon continue, "WHAT IS GOING ON!"

I shook my head. Any chances of Vernon not knowing about my "freakishness" were now gone.

Giving the owl a biscuit, I looked at the letter.

The slanting handwriting was one I recognized, and I groaned.

My dear Lily-Bear,  
>I was bored, so I decided to write to you. I hope that Berkley didn't hurt you, he's new.<p>

I glared at the owl, Berkley.

Christmas here is going to be as boring as usual. Sirius is here, however, so then again, nothing can be boring. I realized I know nothing about your life, and if we're going to get married, I might need to meet your parents. In case you were wondering, I have an older brother named Brett, but he graduated Hogwarts three years ago, and Sirius lives here too. Do you have any siblings? I heard Alice mention a "Tuney the Terrible" but that could be your pet.  
>I hope you know that Berkley won't leave without a letter, and he eats quite a bit. Enjoy your holiday and write back!<br>James

Curse you, Potter, for making my day even worse.

Potter,  
>You couldn't have written at a worse time. Your bloody owl happened to fly in on my sister and her muggle fiancé who, by the way, knows nothing about our world. He already thinks I'm mad, and now he's convinced that I'm in cahoots with the owl, plotting his death.<br>However much I despise you, your letter does give me an opportunity to vent and get away from my insane, magic-hating sister and mother who is oblivious to our feud. Yes, Tuney, or Petunia, as she is now forcing me to call her, is my older sister. We used to be the best of friends, but then when I got my Hogwarts letter, it all changed. She considered me a freak, and still does, but I think she's more jealous. However, that doesn't make up for the fact that she hates me.  
>Oh, why am I rambling on to you! You'll just use this as blackmail against me someday, but I don't want to go back downstairs and face the wrath of Petunia and my mother for "making a scene", so I'll ask you a question. Why does Sirius live with you? Did he kill someone three years ago and is on the run from the Russian Government, and Sirius Black is just an alias for Stubby Bordman? Or have you kidnapped him and you are holding him hostage until his parents pay you ten-thousand galleons?<br>And we are NOT getting married.  
>-Evans (Lily-Bear is not an appropriate name.)<p>

I sealed the letter, and against all better judgement, sent it with Berkley. Walking downstairs, I took a deep breath, ready to face Mum's wrath. However much she loved me, she never believed my tales of Petunia's name-calling.

"Hi mum," I said, sheepishly walking into the kitchen where Mum was cleaning up. "Where's Tuney and Vernon?"

"They left for Vernon's to talk to Gertrude, his mother, about wedding plans." She replied in a clipped voice.

"I'm really sorry about today, Mum."

"Yes, I know. Would it kill you to be nice?"

"It would probably kill her." I muttered, hoping she wouldn't hear me.

"LILY!" Mum cried, turning around and staring me down, "don't say those things about your sister! You just have your differences!"

"Mum! Petunia hates me and _I hate her_!"

"Lily, you don't hate her. I want to know that when I-when I leave like your father-" She brushed some tears out of her eyes, "that you two will be okay. I need to know that my girls will be safe. Promise me that you can at least try to be kinder and accept her life."

"I'll try." I whispered.

"Your father would have been proud." She said, giving me a watery smile.

"I know." I said, before running back up to my room before the tears began to flow from my eyes too.

The next day wasn't much better. Petunia ignored me, keeping a stony demeanour. Mum pretended like nothing was wrong. She kept up a pleasant but awkward conversation throughout the day, obviously trying to ignore the tension. Ironically, the only happy thing was getting a letter from James.

Lilykins (I hope that's better than Lily-Bear)  
>That<p>

sounds** like a fun vacation, a psychotic sister who won't accept you. I bet she's easily prank-able! Please tell me you've pranked her! At least tell me you've given her a biting teacup!**

About Sirius, he hasn't killed anyone (yet) and how did you know about our plot! Kidding, nothing illegal with him. His parents are strong supporters of Voldemort and he wouldn't put up with it. Sirius is the-no pun intended-black sheep of the family. He was exiled from the family when he was sorted into Gryffindor, and left in third year for my house. Mum and Dad accepted him and now he's my second brother. Don't mention you know, though. It's a very touchy subject-

Of course it is! My parents expected me to turn into a little Death Eater! Hey Lily it's Sirius, and now that you know about my scumbag family, don't you think you should go out with Jamesie here? He loooooves you!-

And that was Sirius. He didn't mean that last part.

Well, now that you know a big secret, doesn't this make us a lot closer?

What about your Mum and Dad? My Mum stays at home to watch over the House Elves, and Dad's in the Auror department with Brett.

I hope we marry within the year. You can't keep these feelings locked away forever.  
>-James<p>

Potter,

I'm not your Lilykins Or your Lily-Bear. I'm Evans and you're Potter.

'm sorry about Sirius and his family. I had no idea! It's crazy that Voldemort can affect people's lives without hurting them. And Sirius? I don't think "Jamesie" would appreciate the name. I, however, will be using it often.

My dad died the summer before fifth year. Ever since then, Mum's been a little off. Petunia blames me for leaving when he was sick, and Mum ignores our squabbles when she can, and blames me since I'm not around as much, when she is depressed.  
>Life gets old here, which is why I love Hogwarts. It's my real home, where I'm accepted-well, except for my bloodline.<p>

And don't tell anyone, except for Sirius because I think it's safe to assume he's reading over your shoulder**.** I don't want pity.

Secrets don't make us closer. Being kind would make us closer, but I doubt you could succeed.

Also, I'm not the prankster. That title belongs to you! Even though I despise my sister, I would never prank her. I'm too nice!

Sometimes I wonder why I still write to you.  
>-Lily<p>

It was only after I had sent the letter that I realized that I had signed it Lily, and didn't care.

We continued to write back and forth about trivial things for the rest of break. I spent more time in my room writing to James than I did with my Mum. We eventually made up, but Christmas day was strained. The day after, I decided to go back to Hogwarts to spend the remainder studying for N.E.W.T.s.

At least, that's what I told myself.

In reality, I wanted to get away from Petunia. She was driving me insane, bringing up Vernon and how she had to explain about my "freakishness" and how he was so angry with her.  
>I gathered my things and walked to the fireplace. I had written to Dumbledore and he had opened up the Floo Network for a day so I could return.<p>

"Dumbledore's Office!" I shouted as I stepped into the fireplace. The world swirled around me, and I felt myself roll out of the fireplace to stop at the Headmaster's feet.

"Good Morning, Miss Evans. I trust your vacation was pleasant?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Well, I believe that you are the only Gryffindor who has arrived, so the tower should be empty. The password is "Rectify". Enjoy the rest of your Holiday."

He ushered me out of his office, and I strode back to the tower, where my bags were waiting. After I unpacked, I took my books downstairs to the fireplace, and began to work on my essays.

I should have been absorbed in my work, but for some reason I kept thinking of James and his letters. He had said that he would be back for a New Year's Eve party along with most of the Hogwarts population.

For the first time in my life, I wanted James Potter to come back.

Sighing, I turned back to my essay, and became interested in the five ways to identify a werewolf and how Wolfsbane counteracts them. Smiling at the thought of Remus, I began to write.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hey! Sorry for the late update! I hope some people keep reading :) I had lots of trouble with this chapter, but hope it turned out well! I hope to have the next chapter up before Christmas! Happy Holidays :D**

The week after holidays was a blur. Everyone came back in high spirits, talking about the parties they had attended or the relationships they had. However, these buoyant feelings were quickly doused by the boatload of work we were given in preparation for N.E.W.T.s.

One night, I was studying with Alice, when James and Sirius walked in.

"Good evening, ladies!" Sirius said happily, "Fancy a drink?" From behind him, he pulled out four butterbeers. Plopping two down in front of Alice and I, the two boys pulled up chairs, kicking their feet up on the table.

"Where did you get these?" Alice asked, uncorking hers. Reluctantly, I took a sip from mine as well.

"Nicked it from Hogsmeade," James said. "But of course we left money!" he added hastily

with a sharp look from me.

"Why are you boys intruding on our study time?" I asked, trying to ignore the smile creeping onto my cheeks from the warm drink.

"Well, Moony's tutoring Wormy, and Drew is caught up in Salem duties with Emma." Sirius grimaced at the name. "So we thought we would say hello to you lovely women!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Black." I growled, "N.E.W.T.S are a mere-"

"-five months away, hence the fact that studying can wait!" James crowed, picking up my charms books and running with it.

Doing the only logical thing, I jumped up and chased him around the common room, shouting, "Give it here, James!"

Sirius turned and stared at me.

"Did you just call me James again?" James asked in a hushed voice.

"If I say yes, will you give me my book?"

"Never! Now's the time for FUN!" With that, he threw it out the window where it began to fall to the ground. I quickly grabbed my wand and ran to the window.

"_Wingardium leviosa_" I said calmly, my book floating gently into my hands. Flipping around, I found James' face with a glare.

"Now Lily," He said with faux seriousness, "I believe it's _leviOsa,_ not _leviosA_."

_Levicorpus, _I thought, flicking my wand upwards. James was suddenly hanging upside down with his robes dangling off his shoulders. Underneath, he wore a white t-shirt which showed off his toned stomach.

I turned away to see Alice giggling behind her hand and Sirius guffawing loudly.

"Prongs!" He cried, "You got owned by Lilykins!"

"Black, never call me Lilykins!" I said fiercely, pulling my wand up to his chin. He backed away, still smiling. I turned back to James and his now red face.

"Now James," I said sweetly, "you might think twice before correcting my Charms work, or else you'll end up without a few key components for carrying on the Potter legacy." I whispered in his ear. "And I won't regret doing it."

Turning around, I muttered a quick spell and James' pants fell to the ground, showing off his Snitch boxers.

"And pull up those trousers!" I cried, following a laughing Alice out of the room, away from Sirius -who was now rolling on the floor- and James, who was fumbling for his wand.

"Okay Lily, now tell me this: what was that?" Alice asked, pushing me down onto my bed. She sat on hers and looked at me expectantly. I played dumb.

"What on earth are you talking about?" I asked innocently.

"Lily, don't you dare pull the innocence act! You were totally flirting with James!"

"I was not!" I contradicted, my face going red, although, in the back of my mind, I knew it was true.

"Yes you were, and you know it! You have a crush on James! Admit it!"

"No!" I replied, not even ready to admit the possibility to myself.

"Lily, why-"

"Alice, if you say one more word I will turn your hair pink!" I said, pulling my pillow on top of my head.

"Fine, but this isn't over!" Came her muffled voice.

"Of course it's not."

Alice stayed up a bit longer, but I fell asleep instantly, my deams filled with a bright green light and a baby's cries.

The next morning, I quickly got dressed as to avoid Alice and her endless questions. Walking downstairs, I took a seat in the Great Hall next to Remus.

"Hey Remus," I said casually.

"Lily." He replied, smiling at me.

We both pulled out our books and studied while eating. Soon, however, our silence was interrupted by Alice sitting down next to me and James, Sirius, and Peter sitting across from us.

"You two might possibly the most boring people alive," commented Peter as he piled his plate with food.

"Yeah, boring people who saved your arse on the Transfiguration homework last night." Remus replied, putting away his book. I did the same, knowing too well we would never get any work done.

"Touche." Peter said, smiling.

Everyone bantered casually for a few minutes before Owl Post arrived. I had strategically avoided Alice's questions, not sure if I knew the answers myself. I seemed to be asking a lot of unanswered questions lately.

Soon, owls began to storm the Hall. Lots of people got the _Daily Prophet_, and seemed to be gasping at the front page.

"What's on the Prophet?" I whispered to Alice. She just looked at her copy and glanced at James.

I followed her gaze to see James not holding a newspaper, but a letter. His face suddenly turned pale as a ghost, and he quickly left the hall with Sirius and the other Marauders at his heels. I looked at Alice who wore a sombre expression.

"What?" I asked again. Alice gave me the paper and I looked at the headline:

_He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Strikes Again; Three Aurors Killed on Mission._

following the writing, I found the names of the deceased:

_Three Highly trained aurors were killed on a raid in Surry this past Tuesday. Jason Greyman, aged 27, was killed by an unknown Death Eater, as was Trace Vryer, aged 45. Both men were married and their wives mourn their loss._

I looked back, still confused. Alice gave a sigh and pointed to the next paragraph

_The most prominent member of the Wizarding Auror society was also a victim of this raid. Head Auror Charlus Potter was murdered after being Crucio'd. Mr. Potter was last seen helping the muggles on scene out of the fight zone. He was believed to have died trying to save them, and will be remembered as a kind leader. Charlus Herold Potter will be mourned by his wife, Dorea, and only son, James._

"Oh no," I whispered.

"Yeah," She replied. We sat quietly for a minute, before Sirius ran back in, with a solemn expression, followed by Remus who was sporting a black eye, and Peter who was looking scared.

"He's hiding in the Owlery. Won't talk to me. I even had to dodge his hex; Remus wasn't so lucky." He sat down dejectedly. "Charlus and Dorea we're like the parents I never had. They took me in when no one else would. I -I just can't believe they're gone." He put his head in his hands and Remus and Peter patted his back.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius." I said softly. Sirius Black was always the one who was tough. He never showed emotion, not even after a breakup. He lived each day like it was his last, and made jokes even in the most depressing of times. I'd seen girls weeping over him, but he'd never shed a tear for anything I'd seen.

The Sirius Black in front of me wasn't the one I knew. His expression was grief-stricken, and I could see the dried tears on his face. The loss of James' parents had hit him hard as well. He was limp and tired, as if all of the happiness had been taken. Glancing at Remus and Peter, I saw they were taking the situation just as badly, but a bit better than Sirius. They had tears in heir eyes, but were more concerned for their brothers if anything.

Sirius looked up as if just seeing me for the first time as I touched his shoulder.

"Lily." He croaked, "He loves you. Try to get him to see the truth."

Feeling a blush run to my cheeks, I nodded my head, before going to find James.

I climbed the hundreds of steps to the Owlery, thinking about each one. We all had to climb hundreds of steps in life, but then sometimes we trip and fall backwards. I was going to be the one to pick James up after he fell.

I reached the doorway, and saw a dejected figure looking out the window. Looking at James sitting in the window, I had a brief flash of a memory from a few years ago of my father's funeral. I remembered the horror and the pain of losing the love and respect of a father. When Dad left, I had cried for days. He had been the one who had accepted me fully, never listening to Petunia's bullshit, always talking to me about my problems.

From looking at James, I could tell he had felt the same about his father, and was as depressed as I had been.

"Hey," I said cautiously. James turned and shot a hex at me. I threw a shield charm and walked forward. He turned to face me, anger in his face but sadness in his eyes, and we began to duel. It was, however, different from our previous duels. Neither were trying to injure, he kept pushing me away, and I kept advancing. Finally, he dropped his wand.

"I forgot what a damn good dueler you are, Lily." He said, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

"You needed to get that out of your system, James." I said, sitting down next to him.

"Lily, please don't offer your apologies. I can't deal with this. I'm not cut out for it."

"James, you're James freakin' Potter! Quidditch Captain, Head Boy, snarky prankster, and most popular boy in school. You're incredible, and you can handle it."

"Lily, you don't get it! I try every day to be the amazing person people see, but ever since my dad became Head auror, I've been scared out of my wits! He goes on dangerous missions to save people who will instantly forget him, and now he's dead! People expect me to never break, never to lose my cool, but I'm not everything. Even I should have the right to bleed sometimes. I'm not Merlin, and I'm not who you think I am."

I took this speech in, realizing that there were tears in my eyes. James was so much more than anything I'd thought before. He truly wasn't anything but a human.

"We're all human, Lily, and everyone treats me like something more when really I'm a lot less."

I felt so sad, seeing him broken, but it somehow felt wrong. Then, I realized what it was. Taking his hand in mine, I pulled him so we were eye to eye. I saw the tear-streaked face and the sorrow, an began to speak:

"James, you think no one knows you? You think everyone thinks you're brilliant? For six years I thought- no I knew that it was all a facade. You hide your feelings behind laughter and spunk. Sometimes, it's alright to pull down that wall and let someone in. You almost hexed your best friend! Remus, Peter, they're all so confused. They're your best friends, and Sirius is taking this almost has hard as you. You guys all need each other, and right now you're pushing them away."

"I -I can't-" He said, pulling his hand back, "Dad was more than just my father. He was the man I looked up to, the one I want to be. He would laugh at the pranks I told him about, and give me advice on my issues. I could talk to him about anything. I wasn't that close with anyone, not even Sirius. I can't just go on with life without him.

"Yes, James, you can. I know you've had rough times, I had them too. My dad died a few years ago, and since I had no true friends at home, I spent weeks crying and moping. I lost a bit of myself with him like you lost a bit now. But, you have three amazing brothers who are sitting down there waiting for you. So c'mon," I dropped my voice, "Let's go."

I put my hand out once more, and, with hesitance, he took it. I pulled him up and smiled, he returned it, and we walked back hand in hand. As we reached the Great Hall, I quickly let go. James frowned at me, but nodded as if he understood. He walked back in and Sirius stood up. They shared a look and Sirius nodded at him. Sharing a smile, I knew they were fine.

"Sorry, Remus," James began, his voice cracking a bit, "'bout the eye. Probably a muscle spasm."

Remus laughed and nodded his head, "You seem to have a muscle twitch whenever we get around Slytherins then, don't you?"

"What can I say? It's just who I am." He struck a pose and everyone laughed, much to my relief. The tension was gone at last.

I sat down next to Alice and she whispered to me, "What happened?"

"We -we talked."

"And?" she prodded. I thought about how James had opened up to me, how he'd told me everything, and the spark of electricity when he held my hand.

"And, I think I fancy James Potter."

Alice smiled went back to her food, but not before muttering,

"It was only a matter of time."

"Shut it." I said, trying to hold back a smile.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Woah! sorry for the wait! This chapter wasn't beta'd by Jas, in fact, it was done my by bestest of friends Elizabeth (or the badass pixie as I like to call her) and I want to thank her immensly! For those of you who are reading Cedric and Cho Reunited, I'll post that chapter soon! And for those of you who haven't, READ IT! :D Love you! Happy Holidsays!**

I went through the next few days in a daze. James had gone home for the funeral, so I spent time talking with Alice about my newfound feelings. We analyzed every past move of James, trying to figure out if he truly fancied me, or if it was all a ploy. Eventually we came to the agreement that he really liked me.

Giddy with excitement, I left the library that night thinking of James. It was strange how many times he made it into my thoughts each day. I didn't want to turn into one of those girls who did nothing but think of their crush, but I couldn't help it. Suddenly, I bumped into someone as I turned the corner.

"Excuse me," I murmured, pushing onwards.

"Wait!" The voice cried, and I turned around to see Emma, in all her perfection, standing there.

"Emma?" I asked, shocked.

"Hi Lily. Can I talk to you?" she said calmly.

"Um, sure," I said, hesitantly. Emma had been avoiding us during classes except for the occasional look at James or glare at me. She spent most of her time with a group of lackeys from Hogwarts and Salem alike. I was surprised none of the shallow girls-most ex-girlfriends of James-were around her now.

She led me into a classroom and we sat down.

"Lily, are you going out with James?"

"No, of course not," I answered, feeling my face going red.

"Lily," Emma began, examining her fingernails, "You know James and I had a thing over the summer, and I'm planning to get him back as soon as possible. What we had...well it was something you can't just forget."

"Okay?" I replied, feeling my blood begin to boil, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, _Lily," _She said, her voice spitting out my name, "You're my biggest competition. James liked you, but that's all going to change. James is going to be mine soon, and I need you to stay out of it. Clear?"

I began to see red. How could this bitch just tell me what to do? James wasn't just some prize to be won, he was a real person!

"Emma, are you threatening me?" I asked, my voice cold.

"No, I'm just telling you that if you try to stop James and I for promoting what we have, I can easily make your life miserable."

"That sounds pretty threatening to me. Also, I will do anything I can to keep you two apart. He deserves someone a hell of a lot better than you. James and you were nothing but shag-buddies. You'll never get anything more."

"What?" Emma cried in disbelief.

"Exactly," I said, nearly growling, "Emma, you can try as hard as you want, but James will never be yours."

"Well, then," Emma said primly, standing up, "I can see one of us has clearly underestimated the other." She sauntered out of the room and I sat alone, wondering how on Earth I had gotten into this mess of drama.

James returned with the other Marauders a week after my little talk with Emma. Much to my disappointment, Emma was the first to console him, giving him a hug and whispering in his ear. Happiness filled me, however, when he let go all too quickly. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were gagging silently behind him, and I stifled a laugh.

"Thanks but no thanks, Emma. Maybe some other time," he said, and she walked away, but not before bumping into me and smirking.

"How're you feeling, James?" I asked, sitting down and trying to ignore the pain at seeing him watching Emma walk away.

"Better than before, Emma just offered to talk whenever I want, but I don't think that making me happier is what she wants."

I almost jumped for joy when James said that.

"I'm sure your right." I said, smiling. James looked surprise, but he smiled back.

We walked back to the common room and began to study. I had convinced James that he needed something to get his mind off the funeral, so we pulled out our charms books and began to work.

As I tired of curses, I looked over at James, noticing small habits of his. Every time he turned the page, he would unconsciously run his hand through his hair. During a particularly tough section, he would run his tongue across his teeth, and when not much effort was required, he would drum his fingers in impatience.

Not that I payed close attention to him or anything.

Not to long after James caught me staring and I ducked my head, face red with shame, Sirius and Alice came bounding in with Frank on their heels.

"Prongs!" Sirius shouted, his face contorted in anguish, "We have a crisis!"

"And what might that be, Padfoot?" James asked, calmly closing his book.

"We haven't done any pranks in a month! _An entire month!_ People are starting to notice! Hurry…plan…prank…" His vice dropped off as he slumped to the floor in a very realistic-looking faint.

Alice and Frank began to laugh as James muttered something about "putting up with this idiot".

"Sorry, Lils. Gonna have to cut this study date short. See you tomorrow." With a simple levitating spell, he lifted Sirius' lifeless form up the stairs before I could even register his words.

_Study date?_

_...Date?_

Feeling confused, happy, annoyed, and angry, I felt my face go red, praying that Alice wouldn't notice.

Sadly, luck was not on my side.

She whipped her head around, brown eyes narrowing in on me.

"I'll just...go now..." Frank said, quickly rushing out, obviously wanting to avoid whatever was happening.

"DATE?" Alice shrieked, "What's this about a date? You've finally broken, haven't you!" She smirked and continued, "Remus owes me five galleons."

"Alice!" I whisper-yelled, "You bet on me?"

"Lily-dear, the entire school has bets on you two."

"That really boosts my enthusiasm," I muttered, trying to sink into the armchair.

"So, back to the topic, were you really on a date?"

"Of course not!" I replied, feeling my face fill with scarlet, "It was just studying. James doesn't even know about my crush, and I don't want to tell him."

"Of course." Alice said, pulling out her Muggle Studies textbook, "If you don't want to believe it, fine by me."

"Thank you." I said finally.

We studied in silence as I thought of James. What was it that I felt? Did I fancy him? Like, really fancy him? Like Alice and Frank?

I thought back to the past year. I remembered the smiles James gave me, so different from his arrogant smirk; the way he always made me laugh, pranking and joking his way through school; and his unswerving loyalty to his brothers.

James Potter. James _bloody _Potter.

Who would have thought I'd see the day?

The next day at lunch, after a morning of grueling classes, Drew came over, smiling at us.

"Hi, Drew!" I called over the din, "What's up?"

"I hope you two don't have an aversion to swine," he said, his smile obviously hiding something.

"Why?" Alice asked, oblivious.

"No reason, just hope you are feeling piggish today." He left, and waltzed over to sit with the Marauders, who glanced over at me and laughed.

"Those boys," I mumbled, "One day..." I left my threat in the air and Alice chuckled.

"What was that about?" She asked.

"Probably the next prank," I replied.

Not seconds after I had spoken, the doors opened to reveal a stampede of huge, black pigs, snorting and squealing as they ran through the tables. Students began to scream as the swine knocked over benches and began to eat the food.

"Potter!" I shouted as a particularity large one began to gnaw at my bacon, "You're so dead!"

He just laughed and the Marauders and Drew left the hall in chaos.

Unluckily for everyone, the teachers soon found out that the pigs were there to stay. Each time they tried a spell, the pigs changed color, but nothing else. Pink, green, neon yellow, the colors grew more intense each time.

As the pigs ran out of food, they began to mill around the castle, searching for anything edible, such as-apparently-my bag.

Classes were cancelled as every teacher frantically tried to control the wildlife. We were all told to stay away from the first floor and the teachers charmed the staircases so the pigs couldn't climb up.

Instead of going back to the common room, Alice and I went outside to enjoy the brisk, January air. As we neared the tree by the lake, Alice broke out in laughter.

"Did-did you see-" She choked out between laughs, "McGonagall-and that-that pig!"

I laughed as well, remembering the one pig who stole the Deputy headmistress' cloak.

We rolled around for some time before we saw two figures running towards us.

"Frank! Drew!" Alice called as the boys grew nearer.

"Hey girls," Drew called, sitting down, "James and Sirius are throwing a party, want to come?"

Alice nodded but I declined, not ready to see James.

"You go on," I told Alice, and she ran off hand in had with Frank.

"So, Lily," Drew said, inching closer, "I hear you've finally admitted your feelings for James."

"What?" I cried, staring at him in shock, "How did-" Realization dawned on me, "Alice, I will murder you!" I shrieked dramatically.

Drew chuckled and patted my shoulder, "Don't worry, she only told me because I kept pestering her."

"Oh," I said, a bit calmer, "Well, I don't fancy him all that much, it's just a silly school crush."

"Of course, Lily. Of course," he said it knowingly, as if he knew I was wrong.

"What do you mean "Of course"?" I asked skeptically.

"Well, Just thinking that for James, at least, It's a bit more than a silly crush."

"Well that's all it is for me," I said, folding my arms.

"How do you know?" he pressed.

"Dammit! Why do you have to be so philosophical!" I shouted at his sly smile.

"Lily, do you know what James eats for breakfast?"

"French toast and orange juice, but that's not the point!"

"And what's his favorite subject?"

"Transfiguration, but-"

"His position and favorite Quidditch move?"

"Chaser and Porskoff Ploy, but why-"

"Ah, Lily. You are hopelessly in love with him."

"What?" I shrieked, standing up, "I just know all of that from years of avoiding him!"

"Lily, do you know what it's like to love someone?" he asked calmly, his blue eyes taking me in. I sat down and muttered no.

"Love is when you know more about a person than they do. Love is when you would rather die than see them with someone else. Love is when you can't see your future without them."

I sat silently, thinking about James.

Was it really love?

_No,_ A sensible voice in my head said,_ You're too young for love._

However, I thought more. I knew all about James, presumably from avoiding him, and I hated Emma and all of the other girlfriends of James, but because they were all bitches, right?

…Right?

I thought about the third point. I thought about my future, working as a reporter for the Daily Prophet, coming home each day to a charming house, seeing some dogs in the yard, opening the door to a smiling man...

...A man with messy black hair and wire-rimmed glasses.

I gasped and turned to Drew.

"Is it...?" I whispered.

"I think so." He said, smiling, "I've never seen two people more perfect for each other. You and James have so much sexual tension and so much potential it's scary.

"Oh my Merlin." I said, still coming to the realization, "I can't believe it!"

"Believe what? Say it out loud, Lily."

"I'm in love with James Potter."

"Yes. Now doesn't that feel good?"

"Yeah. Oh Merlin! I need to tell Alice!" With that, I jumped up and ran to find my friend, ready to see her startled reaction.

DREW'S POV

Smiling at the retreating redhead, I stood up and began to walk back to the Gryffindor dorm, ready to put phase three of Operation LilyLove into action.

Pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill, I looked down.

_Phase one: Deflate James' beautiful yet arrogant head._

Check, I thought, crossing it out.

_Phase two: Get Lily to realize her love for James_

Done and done!

_Phase three: Get the happy lovebirds together if it's the last thing I do!_

Almost, I thought wryly.

Opening the portrait, the party was in full-swing.

"James!" I called over the constant noise. Glancing around, I spotted the messy hair and ran over.

"James! I need to tell you something!"

"What?" Came his response as he faced me, a cup of firewhisky in his hand.

"James! Lily loves you!"

"Silly bugs true?" He shouted, confused.

"No! _Lily Loves you!"_

Realization dawned on him, but then he laughed.

"Good one, Drew! Lils doesn't even like me!"

"Au contrare, Mister!" I shouted, pulling him away from the crowd. Once we were in a quieter corner, I told him the whole story.

"So, it's true?" He asked, a smile lighting up his hazel eyes.

"As true as...um...something true!" I replied, laughing.

He chuckled, and began to tell me all about the way he would ask her out.

_A more perfect couple has never been seen before_. I thought.

Just as James was explaining how he was going to get down on one knee, except on his broomstick, I noticed a flash of blonde hair coming from the corner.

"Shit." I muttered, "James, I'm going to have to go, why don't you tell Sirius about your plan?"

"Great idea!" He thanked me and ran across the room yelling for his best friend. I ran after the blonde hair and out the dorm.

"Emma! Emma!" I cried. As much as she annoyed me, she was one of the only people who understood and didn't judge me.

"What do you want, Drew?" She replied, whipping around with tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"What the hell do you think is wrong? That cold-hearted_ bitch_ lied to me! She told me she didn't feel anything for James! Now she's got him in the palm of her hand! Her devious little brain has gotten him hoodwinked! This was supposed to be the year we got back together, not the year that little upstart stole him!"

"Emma, calm down," I said, trying to grab her shoulder. She slapped me with a _smack_ and I felt my face where a red mark was growing.

"NO! Do NOT tell me what to do, Drew! You don't know how this is! I love James and he loves me! Damn you all!"

With that, she stalked away from me, but not before I could call: "What do you know about love! All you feel is infatuation!"

"FUCK YOU, DREW!" She cried, running around the corner. Suddenly, a quote sprang to my mind. Darren had said it all the time when we were going through rough times back home.

_It's gotta get bad before it gets good._

_Well Darren, _I thought, _I hope you're wrong._

With that, I turned back to the party, ready to stop thinking about whatever devious plan Emma was thinking of.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hello there! Hope you had a WONDERFUL Holiday, whatever you celebrate! Note: this chapter has a lot of perspective changes, so beware! Enjoy!**

EMMA'S POV

"FUCK YOU, DREW!" I shouted, feeling tears in my eyes. I turned and ran off, trying to get away from everything.

James was supposed to be mine! How did this all go wrong?

I trampled down flights of stairs and ran down hallways, stopping on one with eerie green lights. I held back my tears as I heard voices.

"Sev," Whispered a woman, "We can't wait any longer. If you really want to do this, you need to prove yourself."

"But this?" A man's voice joined hers, "Bella, why this?"

"You need to get over her!" The girl, presumably Bella, replied, "She's a bitch! That mudblood dumped you for Potter!"

"Wait!" A third voice cut in, "You should know we're no longer alone."

I suddenly felt a sharp point in my back and was forced forward and around the corner. There stood two people, Bellatrix Black, Severus Snape, and another Slytherin who had noticed me and who looked like Sirius.

"Who's this pretty one?" Bellatrix sneered, "Party crasher?"

"No," I replied firmly, holding my ground, "more like ditching the dickheads at the Gryffindor party." I felt the tears come back as I remembered the conversation.

Bellatrix noticed my tears and touched my shoulder, but it was more of a vice-like grip than a comforting hand. "Dearie, tell Bella what's wrong."

Without even thinking about, I felt the whole story spill out. It started over the summer, all of our relationships, the breakup, Lily, and everything that happened tonight. I didn't realize how truly angry I was until that moment.

"Emma?" Bellatrix began, "This is all about Lily Evans, right?"

I nodded, unable to say her name.

"I know what's wrong. She's being a bitch because she shouldn't be here. She's just a pesky mudblood, and by getting Potter, she would be safe. We're trying to protect the world from dirty blooded people like her."

"What?" I'd heard about the prejudices in England, but I didn't understand both sides of the situation properly. Bellatrix made a good point. Lily was the root of this problem, and it was probably because of her blood.

"Well, we're part of an organization that wants to rid the world of her kind. We don't think muggles should see our world, no matter what powers they seem to have. You're a pureblood, right?"

"Of course." I replied.

"Well, how would you feel if some stranger came into your world and tried to act like they knew everything? It got so irritating that our master decided to do something about it."

"Oh. Like what?"

"He just...removes them from society." Bellatrix said, smirking at her to friends.

"And so Lily Evans is one of these people?"

"Yes. She is the root of the problem, flaunting her power and becoming Head girl."

"How do I get rid of her?" I asked, warming to these people who, in five minutes, had shown more care than anyone else.

"Well, we have a plan that can help both of our problems. It'll get Mudblood Evans away from Potter and he'll fall right into your arms. Then, when Evans is weakest, we'll attack!"

She and the two other boys smiled in glee, however, Severus' smile seemed forced.

'Okay." I said, happy that people understood me, "What do I do?"

"Do you know about the Unforgivable Curses?" Bellatrix asked, her smirk growing wider.

JAMES' POV

Still happy about the news of Lily, I ran around the room, trying to find her. Finally, I found Alice.

"Alice!" I shouted, unable to stop smiling, "Where's Lily?"

"She went for a walk to find you!"

I kissed her cheek and ran out the portrait, pulling out the map as I ran. I muttered the code word and the map began to unfurl. I saw the heart-shaped dot ( I had transfigured it in sixth year) tagged "Lily Evans" walking down the Charms hallway. Skidding around the corner, I began to run, a smile growing on my face.

Suddenly, I felt something hit me in the back. Before I could turn to see who hit me, I felt a warm feeling spread through me. All of my problems, my fears, my desires, began to fall away. I felt free from it all, floating above everyone. It was a dream; a happy, carefree, wonderful dream.

_Find Lily Evans_, A voice said in my head, it was calm and soothing, like a lullaby.

_Ok_, I thought. I happily obliged, skipping down the hallway.

LILY'S POV

I loved James. I _loved_ James. I loved _James._

The mantra had been running through my head as I walked through the halls, trying to figure out when to tell him. I wanted to see his messy hair, hear his charming laugh, and be the cause of that glowing smile. I didn't want to have someone else in his arms, I wanted to be the one who he doted on, who he loved.

Turning the corner, I saw him. My heart beat faster as I saw the dreamy look in his eyes.

"James!" I cried as he stepped out of the shadows and into the light.

"James, I-I-"

_Shit, Liy._ I thought, _Get yourself together._

Composing myself, I continued. "James, I love you." I added a shy smile and waited for his reaction.

'Took you long enough.' He'd say, or 'finally! I've been waiting forever!' Something sweet, but still snarky. Something James.

JAMES' POV

The voice came back after Lily said something muffled.

_Tell Lily you don't love her, that she waited too long and you no longer want her._

I looked at the redhead in front of me, looking into her green eyes. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I knew that I loved her. A little voice kept telling me to kiss her, to love her like I do. However, a wave of serenity flew over me, crushing the voice.

"Lily," I said, my voice calm, "You waited too long. I don't love you anymore."

I saw her smile turn into a frown, then turn back up.

"Ha Ha, very funny James." She said, but I saw her resolve breaking.

_Tell her you mean it._ The voice said.

"I mean it, Lily. Go away."

LILY'S POV

I felt my world crashing down. I looked into his emotionless eyes, searching for one, just one, spark of kindness and seeing nothing.

"No...no...you told me you would wait...you promised..." I said, choking through tears as I saw that he meant it.

Tears began to run freely as I ran away, past him. I hit someone, but didn't bother apologizing; I was in too much pain. I stumbled up a staircase, not seeing anything but his calm face, and not hearing anything except his voice

_Go away...I mean it...I don't love you..._

With each word, I felt my heart wrench a bit more. I reached the top of the stairs and collapsed in a heap on the stone floor, my body convulsing with sobs.

I cried for everything. I cried for James, for my embarrassment, for being so mean all those years. I cried as I thought of how nice he had been this past year, how nasty I had been. I cried for Alice and not listening to her, and I cried for my heart, and how I had avoided it all these years.

I sat there for Merlin knows how long before I felt myself run out of tears. I got up and looked out of the small window, moving towards it as if I was in a trance. I moved towards the ledge, climbing up and sitting on it.

_Why am I still here._ I thought, _There's nothing else for me._

I prepared to let go of the ledge when I felt a pair of strong hands grab me and pull me onto the floor.

"Lily! what the hell!" Said a gruff voice. I turned around and noticed that I was in the arms of Sirius. Seeing James' best friend brought on a new wave of tears.

"Oh, shit." He said, noticing my wails. He conjured a handkerchief and began to wipe my cheeks.

"Lils," He said, his voice softer, "what's wrong? James was freaking out. He said he went to look for you and suddenly had a blackout. When he woke up, he was alone, so he came running back. He was really worried."

_Worried?_ I thought, my sorrow suddenly being replaced with anger,_ Worried?_

"He's worried?" I said, pushing myself away from Sirius.

"Yeah, apparently Drew said you loved him and he wanted to find you." He gave a small smile.

"Worried!" I shrieked, "How can that_ imbecile_ be worried! I'm running around this _Goddamned _school trying to tell him I love him, and when I do find him, he turns me down, and he has the nerve to be fucking _worried_ about me?" I began to pace, anger filling me.

"Woah, Lily, calm down." Sirius said, standing up and attempting to touch me.

"NO! DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! I-that-he-" I suddenly realized that it wasn't Sirius or James' fault. It was my own. I had waited far too long and deserved everything. I crumpled to the ground again and Sirius grabbed me before I hit my head. His strong arms carried me as I sobbed, soaking his shirt.

"Shh...Lily, it's going to be okay. I don't know exactly what's going on, but I'll find out."

He continued to hold me as if I was as light as a feather, walking through the halls with the only sound being my sobs that slowly got quieter. He walked past a wall three times and entered a hidden room with a soft bed. I felt him lie me down and give me a quick kiss on the forehead.

"I'll send Alice up." He whispered, leaving me to try and fall asleep even with all the thoughts in my head.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: HAppy New Years! This is an emotional chapter, thats for sure:) On another note, last night was the first night of Darren Criss' three week stint on Broadway! I have tickets :D! I'm so psyched! To all of the reviewers, you guys don't know how happy they make me. Thanks for the time you put (even if it was, like, ten seconds) into those reviews! Love you all!**

By the time Alice came, I was fully rested. She walked in and sat down, patting my shoulder.

"Lily, it's okay. Sirius was talking to James when I left. Apparently something happened to him. He wasn't himself. He still loves you!"

She smiled, as if that should make my heavy heart feel better.

"Alice, I can never face him again. The moment was gone after I embarrassed myself in front of him, spell or not."

"Lily! Don't say that! Didn't you hear? Someone attacked him!" She said looking into my eyes.

"No. I'm done. Done with love, with flirting, with James." I replied stonily.

Alice pulled away.

"So you're just going to hate him again?"

"No. I can't even do that. I have to let go, Alice. I-I can't face rejection again." I felt my voice cracking and quickly wiped my eyes.

"I can't believe you, Lily. The poor boy's waited forever and now you're just going to let him slip away?"

"God Damn it!" I shouted, fed up with the sympathy and reprimanding. "Alice, I'm not going back to him! I'm done with it all! Stop trying to make me think otherwise!"

"Lily, I was only-"

"NO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" I screamed, tears now running freely, "I'm OVER it!"

"No," She replied, just as calm as before, "You're not. I can see it in you, Lily. You're my best friend."

"Well maybe I should choose a new one." I said coldly, turning away from her. I heard her begin to cry, and almost felt bad as she ran from the room.

I felt nothing. I had lost it, lost my friends, my love, yet I felt not a pinch of remorse or guilt. I had as much emotion as a wall. No more tears, just a dry face. I lay upon the bed, and fell into yet another dreamless sleep.

The next few weeks were the simplest I'd had in a long time. I would go to classes, diligently do my work and listen intently, then go to my room, draw the curtains on my bed, and study until I fell asleep on my books.

Alice avoided me, sending hurt gazes my way every once in a while, but I pretended not to see her. The same was with James and the Marauders. Remus would try to talk to me in History of Magic, but I would ignore him. If Peter cornered me in a hallway, I would rush into the nearest girls' room. Sirius was more stubborn, and it took more effort to throw him off my back. He would wait for me outside classrooms, try to follow me into the bathroom, and attempt to sit with me at meals. I, however, made it my mission to get rid of him.

James, strangely, wasn't bad. He didn't try to talk to me, ask me what went wrong, or if I needed anything. He stayed clear, seeming as down as I was. However, he only acted depressed when I saw his moments of weakness. Otherwise, he was his normal jubilant self. Thank goodness we had no Head duties save for the monthly meeting, but even then, James just sat in the corner as I directed it all.

I would catch the Marauders-minus James- and Alice, whispering in the common room, quieting down as I walked past. I knew they were planning something, but didn't want to talk to them.

The only person who I was able to talk to was Drew. He didn't try to get me to open up, and we mostly just talked about schoolwork. I could study with him and laugh, but the minute someone else came in, I had to leave. I knew he was talking with James and Sirius, but it didn't bother me. As long as we never talked about it, I was perfectly fine.

"Hey, Lily?" Drew asked timidly as we were studying one day. The February sun was shining through the windows and tiny blades of grass were creeping through the melting snow.

"Mhm?" I mumbled, not paying much attention.

"I- I have something for you."He opened his bag and rummaged through it for a second. I curiously looked over his shoulder. He smiled and pulled out a rumpled letter. It was a blank front and nothing on the back, save for a wax seal.

"What's this?" I asked, taking it and turning it in my hands.

"It's something that might help you figure things out." He said ominously. Drew swiftly packed up his bags and proceeded to leave the room.

"Wait!" I called, but he had left.

_Figure things out? _I thought, opening the letter.

_Lily,_

Damn it. I recognized that handwriting anywhere.

_Don't throw this away! I just want to talk._

_I know something happened, that night in the corridor, and my words were not my own. _

_Lily, I have loved you since the first day I saw you, and I can't imagine life without you. I was manipulated then, and I really want to fix this. Can we just talk? Meet me at the Quidditch Pitch at eight-thirty tomorrow night._

_And don't worry, curfew isn't 'till 10._

_Love, James._

Damn that boy. Damn him to hell! How _dare _he expect me to do something for him!

I threw the letter in the fire, enjoying the flames. Then, I set off to find James.

"POTTER!" I shrieked, running down a hallway. "Where are you! We need to talk!"

"Yeah, Lilykins?" He asked, gracefully loping over to me.

"Don't you dare call me that!" I whispered menacingly. "How can you stand there, knowing what you've done!"

"What have I done, Lily?" He asked, all innocence.

"_What have you done?_" I let out a sarcastic laugh. "You ruined _everything_ Potter!"

"Oh, back to Potter, are we, _Evans?"_ He sneered my name, and I saw that his anger was soon to overflow as well. Just then, I remembered how much I relished in these fights.

"Well, I can only call my _friends _by their first names, and you are clearly not one of them."

"At least I'm not so uptight that I classify people so shrewdly!" He shouted, both of us now bristling with fury.

"_Uptight?_ Is that what you think? I'm surprised you can think of anyone but yourself, you _pigheaded asshole!"_

"Pigheaded is getting quite old, don't you think?" He taunted.

"Well, considering you bear such a similarity, I think it does nicely." I said coldly, swishing my wand. In a second, where James' head had been there now lay a pig's head.

I heard laughter and saw we had gathered a crowd.

"Two can play at that, Evans." He replied fiercely. Soon, I felt something wet beneath my waist. I looked down, and saw that I was covered in mud.

"Now you truly are a stick in the mud!" More laughter.

"Oh, _real _mature, Potter. But, I wouldn't expect anything better from such an imbecile as yourself. You never learn a thing."

"Never learn? Just because not all of use measure knowledge in books doesn't mean I'm an idiot!"

"Oh, so you admit it?" I asked, feeling the joy in his red face. We had both transformed back into our normal selves.

"Oh, you can try to break me, Evans. You should remember who you're dealing with!"

"I was under the impression I was "dealing with" as you so eloquently put it, an ass."

"Wow, that's saying something from the girl who has had two best friends and_ failed _them both!" He retorted.

"FAILED? Take that back _now!_" I shrieked. He had no right to say that!

"Make me!"

"That was out of line, Potter!"

"You just don't want to admit it's true!"

"What's true! The fact that I had loyal friendships that _you _ruined?" I asked, the fight bringing up memories of Snape and Alice.

"The fact that you can't do anything right! You're so _damn _cold that whenever anyone _tries _to get close to you, to voice their opinion, you close yourself up! You don't know the first thing about loyalty or compassion! Fuck, you don't know the first thing about _love!"_

"Well, maybe none of us do." I said calmly, rushing out of the circle of people we had gathered, not wanting anyone to see me cry. I was never one to run from a fight. Hell, I finished many of them myself. However, for some reason, he knew _just _the things to say to make me break.

James Potter had a power with words. He could make me fall in love, or retaliate in hate. He could transform people and had so much charisma he could make them do anything.

I found myself in a deserted corridor, the sun setting out a window. I slid down on the wall and felt myself bawling again for the second time that week.

_Such a weak little thing _I thought to myself. Hearing footsteps, I tried to dry my tears. I saw a hand appear and grabbed it gratefully, only to let go when I saw who it belonged to.

"Potter! Come to bask in your glory? Congradulations. You've finally broken the cold-hearted bitch that is Lily Evans." I said these words with as much scorn as I could.

"Lily, I-"

"Don't even _think _about saying you didn't mean that."

"But I didn't-"

"Of _course _you did! It's all true!" I felt the tears coming again.

"Shhh.." He said, brushing them away.

"Don't tell me to shut it!" I replied, pushing his hand off. "Why do you even bait me? You know exactly what to say, what to do to make me either hurt you or myself. You have nothing to gain from arguing with a nobody like me! What on _Earth _do you fight for?"

He cut off my rant with a kiss. It's wasn't a rough kiss, only a sweet one. His lips covered mine, tasting of vanilla and rain. A kiss filled with emotion, with pleasure, with lust. A kiss that made my heart beat a hundred times faster. His hands wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me closer molding our lips into one. Fireworks exploded as his tongue maneuvered it's way around my mouth. My hands found their way into his hair, grasping the silky strands as I felt limp in his arms. I felt his breath on mine, fresh and sweet, and his simple touches that made the butterflies flutter.

However, all too soon, the euphoria stopped. He broke away and stared intensely into my eyes, his hazel ones alight with love.

"That is what I'm fighting for." He said softly, in a voice filled with emotion. Then, he left, whirling away into the sunset light. I touched my lips, now swollen, and felt yet another, and hopefully last, tear fall.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sadly, this chapter doesn't live up to my expectations. I didn't like it, but I'm hoping that I can make the next one better! Reasons for the wait? My lack of focus and plot :) as well as my new obsession with Merlin (that epic tv show with hot guys waving swords XD) I've been writing some of that fanfiction as well, and might be getting it up here soon! Love you and all of your reviews! BE WARNED, the next chapter might take some time to get up due to stupid finals next week -_- Hope you like this better than I did!**

SIRIUS' POV

Lily and James, what a troubled pair. Sometimes, the sexual tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife.

After their big fight in the hallway, I went to find James, ask him what the _hell _he had been thinking, making Lily all pissed off, but he found me instead, quite moody and depressed, as he had been the past few weeks.

"Okay Prongs," I said, stopping him in the hallway, "What just happened?"

"I don't know." He said, exasperatedly, "I guess...I guess I wanted her to see that I didn't need her to be happy-"

"But you do." I cut in. He gave me a dirty look.

"Of course, but I don't want her to know I'm a wimp."

"No, now she think's you're a prat of epic proportions. Why did you go running after her?"

"Because I wanted to apologise, but not make a big scene about it."

"Yeah, 'cause staying away from attention is your _specailty_." I scoffed. He scowled at me again, so I shut up.

"Anyway, I saw her crying in the hallway and went to talk to her. She asked me why I started the fights, what I was really fighting for, so I kissed her."

I whistled. "My Prongsie's still got it!" I saw the edges of his mouth turn up. "What'd she say?"

"I don't know, I walked away. I think she's still hung up on what I said the other night, but I can't remember it!"

"Y'know what I bet? Some Slytherin prank. We should get them back." I taunted, trying to get my best mate back in high spirits.

"No, I probably was just really drunk and don't remember shit." With that, he walked away dejectedly.

"Don't kill yourself!" I called to him. He just waved his hand at me, and I knew he needed some time.

_He wasn't drunk at all!_ I thought, remembering the night. For a drunk man, I had a fantastic memory. _It DEFINANTLY involved Slytherins._

With that, I turned on my heel and went to find some helpers.

"Moony!" I hissed, walking through the portrait to see Remus and Drew playing chess.

"Mhm?" He mumbled, not looking up.

"Drew, Moony, come with me! We have an issue to resolve." I grabbed them both and walked out of the common room, pulling them towards the Astronomy Tower, which wasn't in use at the time seeing as it was midmorning.

"Okay, Sirius. What did you drag us here for?" Drew asked, "Preparing to throw us off?"

I scoffed. "Of course not. It's much easier of throw people off the Charms Tower." Both boys smiled, and I began my speech.

"You both know about James and Lily and their...issues, right?" Both nodded. "We need to get them together, and fast."

"Well, kind of hard when Lily hates James' guts," Drew said philosophically.

"Shut it, Drew." I said. "Now, I have a feeling that whatever happened after the party a few weeks ago was becasue of the Slytherins."

"Wait," Drew interrupted again, "I had a feeling that it was Emma."

Both Remus and I looked at him, schocked. "Why?" Remus asked.

"She overheard me telling James that Lily loved him. I followed her and tried to talk to her, but she was hell-bent on revenge."

"Hmm," I said, digesting this newest information, "Maybe she worked _with _the Slytherins."

"Would Emma really stoop that low?" Remus asked, always giving the benifit of the doubt.

"I tend to think so." Drew said gravely. "You should have seen her back at Salem. IF anyone so much _whispered _about her, she would find out and ruin you emotionally and popularity-wise, and, if it was a really bad thing you said or did, she would get one of the bullies to hex you, make it look like an accident."

Remus and I gasped. The Emma we had met over the summers had been anything but mean. She was always bubbly, even if she was a bit haughty.

"Well, now we're getting somewhere!" I said, trying to diffuse the tension. "We know _who_ did it, and _why _they did it, but _how?_"

"I have no idea." Moony said, looking quite scared that for possibly the first time ever, he didn't know something.

"I've got it!" I shouted, suddenly thinking of an idea. I then sprinted out of the room, determined to find the one person who might help.

"Let me get this straight," Alice began, looking at me shrewdly, "You think it was Emma who teamed up with the Snakes to bring terror on James and Lily?"

"Yep!" I said, "And now we need your brilliant brains to help Moony, Drew, and I find out how!"

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Sirius."

"Flattery?" I cried in mock horror, "Is that what they call the truth these days?" Alcie was always fun to be around. She took everything in stride and was a bit more free-willed than Moony or Drew.

"Shut it." She said, shoving me playfully. "Even if I were to help you, how the hell would I? James has been moody ever since and so has Lily! No one can talk to them!"

"Drew can." I whispered, "But he says anytime he brings it up, Lily clams up after giving a small sigh."

"It must be horrible for them." She said sadly.

"I'm glad you're not pissed at her for going off on you like that."

"Naw, she was saying that in grief." Alice said, waving it off.

"So, will you help us?" I asked, prodding for more information.

She sighed. "I'll see what I can do." With that, she sauntered off.

Finally, some progress.

With a skip in my step, I turned around and began to walk back to the common room, try to cheer James up. The **idiot** hadn't done anything interesting since the whole fiasco began. I really needed to get his spirits back up! The full moon was coming, and it would be no fun with a moody Prongs.

I looked up ahead and saw a group of students clustered in a corner. Normally, I would have ignored them, but I saw a perky blonde head among the dark ones.

Emma.

Quickly, I muttered a dillusionment charm and felt the familiar sensation wash over me. Trying to make as little movement as possible, I inched my way down the hall, trying to get closer to the muttering people.

"-can't trust her!" One person whispered loudly as I got close enough. My fists clenched. Severus Snape.

"You can very well trust me!" Emma hissed in return.

"Our Master will not be pleased!" Another person said. All of these seemed to be directed at one person. A person with long, blonde hair and pale skin. I remembered him from a few years back as a nasty Slytherin, but couldn't place the name.

"True, Nott, The Dark Lord will be upset if he learns you had the help of someone not in our little, ah, _association._ However, from what I've seen, Miss Wilkes is quite good with that wand. She may be of some use, considering her grudge as well. " He gave Emma a smirk, but she stood her ground.

"I don't want to be a part of whatever sneaky little scheme you all have cooked up. All I want is revenge."

"Ah!" A new voice that I recognized as that bitch Bellatrix's shrieked. "Let me guess! It's that mudblood Evans, isn't it!"

Emma nodded and the pale man smiled.

"Ah, Lily Evans? Ambitious choice. However, I believe you can pull off anything with our help."

"Thanks, Lucius." Emma said, "I've already got her upset, the Imperius really worked. Now, it's just a matter of finishing off what I've started." With that, she left, her hips swaying sensually in her wake.

What the _fuck?_

I doubled back, taking care not to break the charm until I was out of sight of the Slytherins. I immediately grabbed my mirror, the double one James and I shared, and called his name. Of course, he didn't answer.

"James!" I said, louder this time.

No response.

Angrily, I stuffed the mirror back into my pocket and made my way to the only place Prongs would go to think.

I walked out into the crisp air, feeling the freshly cut grass beneath the pitch. Looking up, I saw a lone figure glinting in the sun.

"Prongs!" I shouted. He turned and came zooming towards the ground.

"You called?" He said, his voice calm.

"Yeah, I got more information on your attacker!"

With that, he took off again, leaving me in his wake. I, however, was never one to give up. With a quick summoning charm, I hopped on my broom and soared up after him, feeling that ever-wonderful freedom that came with flight.

"Prongs! Get your ass over here!" I called, swerving towards him as he evaded me with top chaser technique.

He dove, I followed, deftly pulling up after him. We careened across the field, slipping between the hoops and stands, our brooms going as fast as they could. Finally, I sensed my chance. He pulled a quick right, his broom headed towards one of the seating areas. I flew above him, and right as he was over the middle of the pitch and directly beneath me, I let go of my broom and jumped on the back of his.

Caught by surprise, we tumbled off the broom, landing softly on the grass. I chuckled as he glared at me.

"Prongs, would it kill you to listen for once?" I taunted.

"This time, yes." He grumbled, but I saw the twinkle in his eye. He was glad for the interruption from his thoughts.

"Well, it might interest you to know that I know who hexed you, with what, and why." I said triumphantly.

"And I assume you have proof?"

That caught me off-guard. I didn't have _any _proof!

"Um...would my word count?" I asked, smiling.

He laughed and I remembered how good it felt to just laugh with him.

"Go on, let's see what crazy idea you have this time."

"I'm not crazy! I have good ideas!" I shrieked in mock indignation. He guffawed again, and I was reminded of the old days before feuds and loves, when laughing on the pitch with James was a regular thing.

"Emma has teamed up with the Slytherins. She overheard Drew saying Lily loved you and got kind of **pissed**. Then, she hexed you when your back was turned, put you under the **Imperius**, and made you tell Lily you hated her."

James sat there quietly, staring at me as if I was insane. Maybe I should have been subtler...

"Really?" His voice came out strangled and weak.

I nodded. "And what's more, she plans on putting Lily under the **Cruciatis**, I think, as part of some Death Eater thing."

"Damn it, now she's all buddy-buddy with the Death Eaters?"

"I think so. We _need _to tell Lily! She'll help!"

With that, James closed back up into his shell of unhappiness. "She hates me, remember?"

"James, I know things have been rough, but you've got to get off your lazy ass and help fix this before Lily gets **tortured**!"

"How do you expect to get her to talk to me?" He asked, admitting his fear in seeing Lily hurt.

"Oh, I have a plan." I said, smiling as I stood up. He followed and we began to walk back to the castle.

"That's never a good sentence." He replied. Laughing and cracking jokes, we made our way back to the castle, and I was reminded of just how much I had missed my best friend.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: *peeks out from behind corner* h-hey there guys...! It's been a while :)  
>Okay, I'm REALLY sorry about the super-long wait. What with a terrible first attempt at this chapter, email troubles with my beta, finals, and a new semester, I've had trouble putting this up. *smiles sheepishly*. So, SO SORRY for making you wait, but I hope y'all like this chapter! One more thing, I think this story is about done. There might be two-ish more chapters :) I want to thank everyone who has ever reviewed or read this story. It mean's a lot to me to hear what you think, good or bad! So love to all of you!<strong>

LILY'S POV  
>After weeks of moping, I thought I had finally gotten over James. Sure, my heart still wrenched when I saw him in the halls or in class, but I no longer cried at night and did nothing but homework on weekends. Drew had gotten me to laugh a few times, and I had even started talking to Remus again. However, I almost crawled back into my shell when Sirius came up to me one day.<p>

"Lily!" He called, smirking as usual, "haven't seen you around in a while!"

"I wonder why." I muttered, mostly to myself.

"Aw, is that any way to treat the most amazing guy in the school?" He threw his arm around my shoulder, and I instantly tried to squirm out of it. Quidditch must have been paying off, because as much as I tried, he dragged me away from the Charms classroom I was heading to and towards the front doors.

"Sirius! Let go! I have Charms!"

"Oh, Lily. You're already three days ahead of our class. You can afford to miss one day."

I let out a huff, but let him take me since I knew there was no getting out of it. I would just have to be as moody as possible, and hopefully he would get tired of me fast.

"So," he began as we plopped down on the grass by the lake. I felt a breeze swing by, and knew that spring was on its way.

"Mm?" I muttered, noticing him staring at me expectantly.

"Lily," he sighed, "I asked you when you were going to talk to James again."

"Never." I said monotonously. I knew we were going to hit on that question eventually, but I didn't expect him to be so blunt.

"Why not? I know for a fact that you've got incorrect information." he pushed.

"How so? You think he didn't mean to tell me he was over me?"

"No, I think, no I _know,_ he was under a hex."

I gaped at him, surprised that he would go there.

"Are you seriously going to expect me to believe that he was cursed? You're his best mate! You're supposed to try and get us together! And you would lie for that to happen? I thought you were a bit better than that."

With that done, I stood up and walked away, leaving him calling after me. I was fuming. Why would he do that? James certainly wouldn't like him to spin such tales.

Wait. I was not going to think of James. I was done with all of that.

However, I thought back to my words. How I said I would never talk to him again. I knew that that was a lie. Every time I saw him, I wanted to go crying to him and have him tell me it was all going to be okay, but I knew I could never do that.

And, in my mind, I hope with all of my heart that Sirius was right. I didn't want to believe that James could be so heartless, no matter what I had done in the past. But I couldn't give that upstart the satisfaction of letting him know he was right. He deserved me to walk away.

Right?

Merlin, I was questioning myself way to much these days. It was times like these that I missed Alice more than ever. She had found refuge with the Marauders and with some Ravenclaws, and even though I had blown her off and she had every right to never speak to me again, I wished that I still had her voice of reason.

"What have I done to my life?" I whispered to myself.

I opened the big oaken doors and slipped inside, hopefully not going to get caught by Filch. Maybe, if I was lucky, I would be able to make it to the last fifteen minutes of Charms.

As I skidded around a corner, I heard crying from an unused classroom. I stopped, because it's impossible for me to listen to crying like that.

Making as little sound as possible, I walked in and saw a figure sitting in the corner and facing the walls. Her blond waves were covering her eyes, but I would know that slim form anywhere.

But even Emma shouldn't have to be crying like that.

Her body was convulsing in sobs and her breathing was staggered. My heart, no matter how bitchy she had been, went out to her, and I had wanted to put all differences aside and go to help her. But someone beat me to it.

I jumped back into the cupboard near the door as a second person came in and sat down next to Emma.

"Emma," Drew murmured, "What's wrong?"

She didn't respond, but after a small hug from her American friend, Emma began to speak.

"Why are you here?" she whispered, "I blew you off, but you're still talking to me?"

"Emma," Drew said kindly, "You were the first to accept me for myself. You kept me safe from all of the bullies. I know, behind your crazy bitchiness-" Emma gave a watery smile at this, her face streaked with mascara. "-You're a nice person who's just misjudged. So tell me, what's wrong?"

"I-I messed up, Drew. I messed up really bad." She began hesitantly. Drew smiled to show that he was listening. "I wanted to get rid of Lily. I thought James was meant for me, and that she was only a pesky girl in my way."

I was quite angry at that line, but she continued.

"So, I went to get help. The Slytherins told me they could help me. I thought Bellatrix seemed nice enough, even though she was a bit of a snake. She told me about the imperius curse, and I used it on James after I found out Lily loved him. I wasn't thinking!" She exclaimed, "I just wanted to get him! He was-" She broke down again, but this time I felt less remorse.

"So," Drew said, rubbing small circles into her back. "You used an unforgivable curse to try and get a guy. Doesn't that sound a tad bit desperate?"

Her wails grew louder, but she calmed enough to answer. "I told you! I wasn't thinking! Now I wish I could take everything back! Now that I see how torn up they both are, I noticed how horrible the idea was."

"Don't worry," Drew said, giving a small smile, "I'll fix this." With that, he gave one last hug and left, presumably to go to his next class. I was hoping Emma would follow so I could get out of the cupboard where I could feel my feet falling asleep, but that didn't happen. Instead, two more people walked in, Bellatrix and another Slytherin who I thought was Avery, and I almost groaned in annoyance. Of course Emma was lying. How could I have not seen it before?

"Well," Bellatrix said, "That went well. You really have him under your thumb."

Emma smirked and got up, and wiped away her tears. With a flick of her wand, the black residue from her makeup was wiped away, and impeccable sparkles replaced it.

"Well, it's wasn't hard. Now, we can focus on Lily. If I know her, she'll be furious when she finds out I did that." she smirked, and I wanted to run out right there and prove her right, but I also knew that even with my skills, I couldn't fend off three people.

"Yeah!" Avery said in a booming voice, "And then we'll lead her straight to the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix hushed him, but Emma had already heard it.

"What?" She said, surprised, "You never told me he was involved! You said he wouldn't like it!"

"Yes," Bellatrix said calmly, "But then the Dark Lord realized how much faith Dumbledore put into that little nitwit, and saw her as valuable."

"I want my revenge!" Emma retorted, stomping her foot like a little girl who wanted something, "I thought you were just going to help me! Now you're suddenly in charge?"

Bellatrix cackled. "Honey, we were always in charge. _We_ just wanted you to think so because you amused us."

"Seriously? You guys are insane! You know what, I'm done! I don't work with backstabbing bitches!" With that, she strode out of the room in a huff.

"She'll come around, don't worry." Avery said, calming a fuming Bellatrix.

"Bitch." Bellatrix muttered before stalking out after Avery.

Once everyone had left, I uncurled myself from the tiny space.

I had absorbed so much information, my head was spinning. Not only had I learned that James wasn't behind his words that fateful night, and that Emma, as evil as she was, was a tad nicer than the Slytherins.

At first, I felt the boiling anger at Emma for decieving me, but then I realized it was all _my _fault. I was the one who overreacted, and I was the one who would hae to fix it.

I put my hands to my temple, feeling aheadache coming on. I couldn't believe it had come to this. I had wanted James to hurt, to make him pay for leading me on, but really I had hurt myself more. Now, Id din't know if I could fix it. And what if I couldn't? What if he didn't forgive me?

One thing was for sure: If I was in his shoes, I _definantly_ wouldn't forgive someone who had butchered my heart like that. I could only hope that James was nicer than me.

But what if...?

No. I couldn't deal with "What if's". I needed to go and make something happen. The little voice in the back of my head told me that sitting around and hoping for him to do something wasn't going to work. I would need to step out of my comfort zone and do somethign to not only prove to him that I was in love, but to prove to myself that I still deserved him.

However, I needed help.  
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<p>

"Sirius!" I shouted, running into the common room after classes had finished. I had been antsy throughout the entire day, and hadn't paid attention to anything. I called the name of the black-haired boy once more, and he came running down the boys dorm staircase.

"Is someone dead?" he asked anxiously. "Oh, Lily. It's just you." He started back up the stairs, but I stopped him.

"Sirius! I'm so sorry! I thought you were lying, but then I heard Emma- and Bellatrix- And they were talking about the Imperius- but then Voldemort- and Emma-" I stopped to take a breath and Sirius grabbed my shoulders.

"Lily, calm down." He said, his voice a bit chilly.

"What?" I asked, curious at his behavior.

"Not two hours ago you blew me off and told me you wanted nothing to do with James."

"Then I realized that it wasn't his fault!" I cried.

"So, let me get this straight. You hated him, but then realized it wasn't him who hurt you and now want to run back to him and have him sweep you off your feet? Do you really deserve him? You're acting really shallow."

I almost broke down in tears right there. "I know, I know how horrible it is. But I really...actually I don't know! What if I _never _deserved him? I guess I'm trying to prove it to myself too. I want to show myself that I...that I...that it's something more than a crush."

I whispered the last bit, afraid at what Sirius would say.

"Lily, I used to think you guys were perfect for each other, but with all this shit going on, I don't know if anything can fix it.

"I have to try," I said, almost pleading, "Even if it doesn't work, I want to have some closure. I can't go on in this state of not-knowing for much longer."

"Okay, okay, I'm helping because I can't stand James so upset for any longer. He's driving me insane! I _still_ don't like how you handled things, but if anything will help James, it's you."

I gave him a big smile and a hug. "Thanks so much." I said quietly.

We sat in the common room all evening until long after the sun had set, planning and practicing charms for tomorrows endeavour.

The next morning, my stomach was filled with butterflies as I walked down to breakfast. Sirius and I planned for everything to happen at eight, when most people were in the hall. Sirius said James would appreciate something spectacular.

I almost backed out. I wasn't used to talking to so many people, or being so open with my feelings. However, Sirius was adamant. He kept telling me I brought this on ymself, and had to fix it. I knew he was being overdramatic, but deep down I knew it was all true.

I stole a glance at James who was eating with his head down. He still seemed depressed, and I knew it was my fault. I wanted to make him smile, to see his eyes sparkle again.

I could, and_ would _fix this.

At five to eight, I got ready. With a reassuring thumbs up from Sirius and Remus, who we had pulled in at the last minute due to his intelligence.

Taking a deep breath, I got up and walked over to James. He seemed confused, but I didn't stop.

_"Sonorus_." I said, and my voice amplified, making everyone quiet down.

"James," I began softly. However, I spoke again, louder, as he looked up at me. "I've made _so _many mistakes, but I want to redeem myself." With that, I pointed to the sky.  
>Sirius, Remus, and I had preformed a complicated spell on me and connected it to the sky, so instead of showing the sky outside, the ceiling showed my memories.<p>

Slowly, I began to pull up memories that I had locked away for so long. I remembered the first time James had asked me out back in third year.

"_Lily?"_

_A third-year James on the ceiling asked, "Would you go out with me?"_

_"Not on your life." I returned. People around us laughed, and James turned red_.

I switched the memory, remembering each instance of romance and adoration he had ever shown. I remembered the times he had written my name in the stars, the time he had put fresh roses by my bed every day for a month, the time he had my favourite muggle song play through the school speakers, even the times-many of them-when he had written poems and had them read out during classes by random first-years. They were always so sweet, but I had never given them a second glance. I finished with the picture of me from the beginning of the year.

"James," I said, directing every-one's attention back to me, feeling stronger from those pictures. "You always said and did the sweetest things. I never believed that your feelings were true, but now I see I was wrong. I've tried and failed, becoming way too self-conscious to do anything new, including sharing my feelings. I could never pull off any elaborate stunts like you, so I'm not going to try and fail." I got a little chuckle from everyone, which gave me energy to continue.

"I love you, James Potter, and want to ask if you would like to go with me on a date to Hogsmeade this weekend?" I said the last bit with a smile, and waited for what seemed like a million years for his response.

I was so nervous, I was about to fall down. My knees were shaking and I couldn't believe I had just done that. Love does crazy things to you, and I knew this first-hand.

"Lily," He said standing up, his eyes looking deep into mine, "I've been waiting for this moment forever, literally. I'm so sorry about everything that happened, and desperately want to fix it, too."

"So you'll go with me?" I said, my voice barely a whisper. The sonorus charm had long worn off, but everyone was paying rapt attention and we didn't need a charm to show the emotion we felt.

He walked closer and pulled me in for a deep kiss. Our lips met with a fiery passion, and we once again became one person. We broke apart after what seemed like ages to a hall filled with cheering.

"Is that an answer for you?" He said, only loud enough for me to hear.

I let out a girlish giggle and gave him another hug. I looked around and saw that even the teachers were cheering. McGonagall was wiping tears from her eyes and Dumbledore gave me a knowing smile.

For once, even if it was short-lived, I felt entirely happy.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: And we've reached the end! *Prepares for Oscar-like speech although none of you probably care* I want to thank WobblyJelly, my supermegafoxyawesomehot beta-reader for all of her epic input and making me into a better writer! I also want to thank anyone and everyone who reviewed my story, because you guys gave me the motivation to keep writing! Special thanks to **RoseDoctorForEva, sunshiniite, sweetipie faith,** and** lexi427 **who reviewed multiple times and gave good tips! Love to all of you!  
>Now, some self-promoting :D<br>I have currently been introduced to the epic BBC show, **_**Merlin**_** and have been writing and reading the fanfiction recently. For those of you who've seen it, I might put up some stories, and would love a beta! If you havent seen it, GO WATCH IT! :)  
>Once again, I thank everyone who has read, favourited, reviewed, alerted, or casually looked at this story one day!<br>Now, on to the last chapter!**

**THREE YEARS LATER**

"James!" I called, grabbing the letters our snow-white owl had brought, "Mail's here! Looks like a letter from Drew!"

I heard James whoop and then another tiny giggle. I walked into the sitting room to see James smiling on the floor, watching as Harry tried to catch the cat. Marls had always been frightened of Harry, ever since the incident with the toy broomstick. James still laughed whenever we brought it up.

I laughed and handed James the letter as Harry lunged forward, grasping the tail of the orange tabby.

"Marls!" He whined, "C'mere!"  
>"Harry, we're done terrorizing the cat. Why don't we hear what Mister Drew has to say?" I said, picking up the black-haired boy. Harry clapped his hands; he liked the brown-haired man.<p>

When Drew and Darren had visited a few weeks ago, Harry wouldn't stay away.

"Read, Daddy!" He cried, patting James' leg. James smiled up at me and I felt my heart flutter once again. It never went away, that feeling of first love. It had always been there; I had just ignored it.

"Let's see what he said!" James cried, tearing open the letter.

_"James, Lily, and Harry." _James began. Harry smiled at being mentioned, and I squeezed him tighter.

_"Darren and I wanted to thank you for the great time we had at your place! I know this letter might take quite a long time to get to you, what with all of those security protocols. Sometimes, I wonder why Moldy-Shorts has it out for you two, but I guess some people are just inherently psychotic."_

James laughed and Harry joined in, not knowing the reason. I smiled at them and thanked Drew for making James laugh. Ever since we had left Hogwarts, times had been getting darker and darker. After Voldemort had attacked us twice, Dumbledore demanded we go into hiding. He used a charm to protect us, and James named Sirius secret-keeper. Dumbledore was hesitant, but James and I trusted Sirius with our-and Harry's- lives.

I turned my thoughts away from the past and tried to focus back on James.

_"We've been telling everyone here about the wonderful wedding, and how fantastic Harry is! He looks just like you, James! Well, save for the eyes." _James paused and we both looked at Harry. He truly looked exactly like us.

_"Anyway, I'm afraid this letter isn't all fun and games; I have some terrible news. Emma has disappeared."_

James gasped. We both glanced at Harry, and fear struck my heart. After the big fiasco in seventh year, Emma had gone back to being a bitch. She ignored us for the remainder of the year, and, according to Drew, was just as nasty when she got back to America. However, we knew that she had been passing some information to the Death Eaters before, and didn't know how much she had told them. No one trusted her with anything, yet she still might have overheard something. I remembered a promise from Seventh Year:

_"And then we'll lead her straight to the Dark Lord."  
>"I want my revenge."<em>

Emma had been sending us notes every once in a while, mostly harmless hate notes. However, as time went on, the letters got more threatening. Since we'd gone into hiding, he notes had stopped, but I still was a bit frightened whenever the postman walked by, even though our house wasn't seen by anyone save for a few trusted people.

However, if Emma disappeared, that could mean she was either taken or went willingly to the Death Eaters. This could be bad.

_"When we went to her house, it was in ashes, with the Dark Mark above it. We just want to make sure you're okay and to tell you to stay on guard. She could be close.  
>Be safe,<br>Drew and Darren."_

Emma had never gotten over James; I was sure of it. I looked at James, and we both grimaced.

"James, maybe we should leave the country." I said hesitantly, knowing full well that James hated running.

"No." He said as firmly as I had thought. "Sirius is our secret keeper. We're safe with him."

I gave him a wary look, but he just shook his head.

"Daddy okay?" Harry asked, concerned. James gave him a strained smile.

"Yeah, Harry, everything's fine. Do you know what muggle holiday it is?" James said cheerfully, taking Harry from me.

"Halloween!" Harry cheered. He was fascinated with pictures I had shown him of Halloween from my childhood. "Harry go out?"

"No, Harry has to stay in." I told him sadly, patting his knee and glaring at James. Trust him to bring this up. "Remember, we're playing hide-and-seek!"

"I'm sick of hiding, Mommy." He pouted, "I want to play!" Although **he** was only one, Harry knew that what we did, staying inside all day, wasn't normal. He saw Sirius and Dumbledore come and go, and was very much like his father in the aspect that he hated sitting still. I sensed a tantrum coming on, and knew James felt the same.

"Why don't we go play trains?" James asked, changing the subject once again. When Harry got into a mood, he wouldn't be quiet. Harry clapped, jumped of James' lap, and began to toddle towards the playroom. James followed and I smiled as they left.

I picked up the letter and wrappings and went back into the kitchen. Trying to keep Harry away from the evils of the world was hard enough when he was a baby, but as he grew older and more curious, it became almost impossible. _He's too much like his father,_ I thought, smiling ruefully.

At first, James had wanted to be on the front lines, helping protect people. Then, when we had Harry, he consented to staying with me. I knew how horrible it was, sitting here and doing nothing, but I couldn't have him risk his life. We had the occasional visit from Remus, Sirius, and Peter, but they would have to leave and James would once again be lonely.

As I began to clean up, I thought back to the times before the war had touched us. I remembered that day when we had first gone out, the touching speech he had made at graduation, the moment he proposed to me, and our wonderful wedding.

I thought back to the laughter we shared, carefree and innocent children in love. These days all I saw was a **sombre** expression on his face. He didn't smile nearly as much as he used to, and it made my heart break to see how affected he was by this war.  
>Sighing, I sat down at the table and took out a piece of parchment, beginning a letter to Alice.<p>

After all of the drama of seventh year, Alice and I became friends once more. Things were estranged at first, not unlike James and I, but eventually we settled back into the same pattern as before. She and Frank were living happily and helped out as much as they could with the fight against Voldemort. She had given birth to a boy around the same time as us, a boy named Neville. James had given a laugh at that name, saying he felt sorry **for** the poor kid who would surely be teased later in life.

As I wrote, telling her about Drew's warning, I remembered the wonderful times we had shared. How I wished they were still around. But no, most of our friends were busy with the Order and couldn't visit us without arousing suspicion. The Marauders and Dumbledore only got away with it because, well, they were The Marauders and Dumbledore.

I finished the letter and sent it with the owl, watching it fly free into the sky.

The rest of the day passed normally. Harry enjoyed playing with his trains, and James just sat with me, holding my hand. I loved those normal moments, far and few between, where we were just a happy family; not one in danger every moment.

As the sky turned dark, I found myself laughing along with Harry as James made little puffs of smoke appear from his wand. Harry reached up to grab them, cheering as he caught one.

Noticing the clock in the corner, James yawned and threw his wand on the couch.

"It's getting late, Lils. We should put Harry upstairs, get some alone time." He gave a smirk I knew all to well and I smacked him lightheartedly.

"Oh stop, James. But I do agree that it's getting late. Harry hasn't been going to sleep well lately-" I stopped as I heard the front door blast open.

I could tell James heard it as well, and the fear was evident on his face.

"Lily!" He cried, fumbling for his wand as he handed me Harry, "take Harry and go! It's him! I'll hold him off!" He pushed me behind him, and I blew him one last kiss as I bolted upstairs. I ran down the hall and into Harry's room. Bolting the door even though I knew it wouldn't do any good, I put Harry in his crib. I then began to push boxes against the door in a halfhearted attempt to hold him off. I heard the curse being shouted, and a thump as a body fell to the ground.

Thats when the screams came. I felt my heart race and my knees go weak. I ran over to Harry, knowing full-well I had to protect him with my life.

The tears were streaming down my face, meeting with choking sobs from the horror of what was happening. It was all so unreal. My normally calm life had been thrown into chaos.

James was dead. James Potter, my James, was dead. And I was next.

As I was coming to this realization, my heart breaking with each thought, the door burst open. He stood there, his eyes as red as rubies, black cloaks billowing around him, and for a short second I was paralyzed with fear.

Snapping out of my trance, I put my arms out protectively in front of Harry. I knew I had no way of fending him off, my wand was downstairs.

"Not Harry, please!" I begged, hoping that this evil man could see the love I had for this boy. How could someone care so little?

"Stand aside, you silly girl." He said, his voice high and cold. A voice that struck fear into my heart. It was the voice of a man with no heart, with no compassion. He obviously didn't care about the fact that he was about to kill a baby.

"No!" I shouted, trying to get words out between my sobs. All that I had with James was gone, but the least I could do was to save Harry. "Take me instead! Kill me, not him!"

"This is my last warning," He said calmly, as if he wasn't about to kill my son. As if we were just bartering at the market on a Saturday. That's what scared me the most.

"NO! Have mercy! Please, don't kill Harry! have mercy!" I shouted in one last vain attempt to get him to see what he was doing. But it was a fruitless attempt.

_"Avada Kedavra!" _He said. As I saw the flash of green coming towards me, I thought to myself what a horrible mother I was, leaving my son like this.

But then I thought of James. James, my love. James, the man who had saved me from depression, who had brought calamity and fun into my boring life. He had seen who I really was and had waited for me when all had seemed lost. He was my soul mate, my other half.

Then, I knew what I had known for a long time. I was meant to go wherever James went, be it life, or death. I knew I couldn't push off fate any longer.

_I'm coming, my love. _I thought to myself. Then, the blackness came. I was at peace at last.


End file.
